


The Trouble With Loki

by WindChimeGhost



Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Angst, Brothers, Disciplinary Spanking, Family, Gen, Hospital, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Injections, Loki Feels, Loki Needs a Hug, Loki gets a shot, Loki's poor bottom, Loki-centric, Mortal Loki, Motherly Jane Foster, Non-Consensual Spanking, Non-Sexual Spanking, Non-sexual, Non-sexual cuddling, Over the Knee, Parental Spanking, Siblings, Sick Loki, Spanking, Thumb-sucking, Warm and Fuzzy Feelings, big baby Loki, loki needs cuddles, spank
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-18
Updated: 2017-05-10
Packaged: 2018-05-14 20:38:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 36
Words: 226,817
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5758027
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WindChimeGhost/pseuds/WindChimeGhost
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Takes place sometime after ‘Thor the Dark World’. </p><p>Heimdall calls Thor back to Asgard with news that Loki is impersonating the All-Father and has done a lot of other damage since he deceived everyone and took his place as Asgard's ruler. Thor sets out to make things right, including taking his younger brother in-hand and becoming his brother’s keeper and guardian at Odin’s request after the All-Father strips Loki of his power. From there, the two brothers embark on a long and eventful adventure that takes them to Midgard where Loki finds an unexpected friend and mother figure in Jane Foster.</p><p>Contains parental discipline/corporal punishment/spanking. Don’t like, Don’t read.</p><p> <b>Note from WindChimeGhost: This fanfic is currently on hiatus until further notice. Due to circumstances, spankingfemme and I are no longer writing this fanfic together. Please stay tuned for news updates for this fic.</b></p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Unmasking the Trickster

**Author's Note:**

> ~ Critique not desired ~
> 
>    
>  **WARNING: This fanfic may not be for everyone. It includes spanking scenes throughout, graphic injections/hospital/medical/doctor content, and brief talk of past abuse/torture. If any of this disturbs you, makes you feel uncomfortable, or offends you in any way, then please do not read or leave comments/reviews. Just hit your back button. You have been properly warned, so any bashing, flame, or rude comments that are posted anyway will be ignored and deleted. This fanfic is fictitious and was written purely for fun.**
> 
>    
>  **Note from WindChimeGhost:** Please keep in mind that this is a collab fanfic. It was co-written/RPed by two people via emails and pieced together. There will be slight differences in writing styles throughout. We took care to edit it, proofread it, and tried to catch and correct mistakes and typos as much as possible. Even so, there might still be some inaccuracies here and there. It’s a fanfic that was written for fun, so naturally it’s not going to be entirely perfect. I AM aware there are some grammar and spelling errors throughout. I got tired of correcting everything since it was taking up a great deal of my time. When I get some free time to do so, I will try to do more editing. For now, ignore anything that might look off and just enjoy the story.
> 
> And for anyone who might get the wrong impression when it comes to some scenes in this story, I want to make clear ahead of time that this fanfic **does not focus on shipping**. My friend and I do NOT support the Lokane or Tasertricks pairings, and we did not have those pairings (or shipping for that matter) in mind when we wrote this. Jane and Thor is the ONLY pairing you will read about in this fic, and that's because it's canon. Anything else is purely friendship/platonic relationships (except for the little thing going on between Loki and Nurse Sampson). I just want to make that clear, because I know some people can misinterpret things sometimes.
> 
>  **Credits:** Chapters 1-36 were co-written by WindChimeGhost and spankingfemme (WindChimeGhost as Loki and spankingfemme as everyone else).
> 
>  
> 
> Thor/The Avengers and all related characters © Marvel
> 
> Fanfic and plot ©2016-2017 by me and spankingfemme (please do not take, use, or edit without permission)

Thor had been walking through one of the large hallways of the S.H.I.E.L.D. helicarrier when the familiar bright light of the Bifrost appeared in front of him, beckoning him back to Asgard. It puzzled him at first since he had not called for a transport to his home world. And since no one was coming to Midgard from it, the only other explanation was some dire emergency that needed his assistance. Not thinking any more about it, he allowed it to take him back. His heart skipped a beat when he arrived at the gate and found a wounded Heimdall in front of him. Thor immediately ran to kneel at his side. Not wasting time, the gatekeeper quickly explained to him what had happened and what he had seen, and told him of the suspicions he had.

Thor nodded solemnly. “I see. Are you quite sure, Heimdall?” Thor looked his friend over, a deep crease in his brow, noting the man’s many wounds. 

The dark-skinned man nodded gravely. “I stake my life on it. It is the trickster in guise of the All-Father. He had me locked away beneath the palace along with Sif, Fandral, Volstagg, and Hogun. I went to them because you were still on Midgard. They are still locked in the dungeons below; the guards attacked me when I tried to escape…” Heimdall’s gaze fell to the ground. “I did my best not to kill any of them, but I know not how successful I was.”

Thor grimaced. “Rest my friend; I will take care of Loki.” Thor turned, hastily whipping his hammer in an arch and thrusting it towards the palace. Within one jaunt, he landed heavily in front of the marble steps as he straightened, storming purposefully towards the audience chamber.

There sitting on the throne he saw what appeared to be his father. Thor’s jaw tightened as he tried to reign back his emotion. He had to see how Loki would react and where his father, Odin was being held. He must have succumbed to the Odin sleep as Loki was no match for their father. Loki would tell him one way or another of this Thor was certain.

Loki watched as Thor quickly approached the throne. A twinge of fear coursed through him as he wondered why his oaf of a brother was back, and what he wanted. Couldn't he just stay on Midgard? It had to have been Heimdall's doing. Curse the guards for letting him get away! He'd done all he could to try and cover that over with those who were unsuspecting, and it still came back to bite him. Who would have thought Heimdall would go to Thor? 

Loki's first instinct was to turn and run before Thor reached him, but he had to keep himself together and stay in-character. He was now the All-Father Odin to everyone, even Thor. His brother didn't know it was him sitting on the throne, so why should he be afraid? He almost cracked a smile at that thought, but he suppressed it. He had to be very careful. One tiny slip could cost him dearly.

"Back already?" Loki said in the voice of Odin. "Have you changed your mind about taking the throne? Or is there something else you've come to see me about?"

Thor’s face was stony, and as much as he wished to use deceit in a manner to grill Loki for the truth, he was not his brother; this was not Thor’s way. Thor sized the man in front of him up noting details previously that he had missed. Of course, how could he have been fooled so easily? Thor moved up the small set of stairs to address his ‘father’ responding curtly, “Drop the act, brother, you and I both know what you’ve done here.” Thor did not waste time as he quickly closed the gap between them using the element of surprise to snatch the trickster up by the tunic, so he would not be able to evade him. Pulling the lighter form into close proximity, Thor growled, “Now you will tell me where our father is.”

Loki absently let his grip slip from Gungnir, the precious spear falling to the floor with a deafening heavy clang that resounded into every corner of the room that was sure to bring any nearby guards running. The whole incident took him by complete surprise and almost made him lose his illusion and ruin the charade. He struggled to keep the illusion in place as he twisted in Thor’s iron grasp. 

Fear surged through Loki even more as he peered into Thor’s eyes and realized the reality of the situation he was currently looking at. If he couldn’t outwit Thor in the next few minutes and convince him that he was indeed Odin, all would be lost. His plans would be a failure again, and he’d probably spend the rest of his life banished to some horrid and forgotten hole on Niffleheim where even Hela herself feared to tread. How did his brother even figure out that it was him? His thoughts came back to Heimdall. He was the only explanation. Everything started unraveling after he got away. It was then that Loki knew he should have done something differently with the all-seeing sentry.

“What is the meaning of this, Thor? Have you gone mad?” Loki managed to blurt out, still maintaining his Odin form. “Unhand me at once! I am your father! Whatever gave you the idea that I am Loki?”

Thor’s eyes stated his conviction. “Nay, Loki, you have fooled me for the last time! What has happened to you that you have fallen so?” Thor shook Loki roughly as he spoke, his pain evident in his tone.

Despite his Odin guise, Loki put his hand on Thor’s and struggled to get out of the hold, clawing and prying at his fingers. But no matter what, Thor’s grip remained the same. A bead of sweat trickled down his face as he slowly forced himself to look into his brother’s face. He didn’t want to admit it, but he knew he was already defeated. Everything was lost, and it hadn’t even taken but a few minutes. If he had been the real All-Father, he would have been able to get out of Thor’s hold easily. Bested again, he thought wearily. He hadn’t planned on Thor bursting into the throne room and grabbing onto him.

He sighed, the illusion of Odin melting away to reveal the trickster’s true form. Loki’s green eyes remained fixated on Thor, a pout forming on his face. “I thought you would be glad to see me, after my honorable death,” he said, ignoring Thor's question.

Thor pulled Loki mere inches from his face, his anger and frustration with his brother evident, more so there was confusion and a yearning to understand. “An honorable death? …followed by what, Loki? What is this that you are playing at? You could have gone anywhere, but you came back here to prance about in father’s image pretending to be king. It is as if you were a child unable to reason the actions you make. Are you this desperate for attention?”

“A child?!” Loki spat, clawing at Thor’s hand again. He kicked at Thor’s legs, hoping to do damage to something that would make his brother let go. Finally, he stopped. “You will never understand what I play at,” said Loki, a sad smile tugging at the corners of his lips. “And I’m not pretending to be king like you seem to think. I took over the throne like any good son would do. Odin fell into the Odinsleep so there was no one else to rule in his absence since you gave it up to go spend your time among the mortals and Mother is..." Loki blinked back tears. "I took on the All-Father’s appearance because I knew Asgard would never accept me as its ruler.”

Thor took in a deep breath relaxing his grip enough to lower Loki to the ground, but he did not let go. “Asgard would not accept you as its leader because you have forsaken its people time and time again for your own selfish wants Loki. And what of the warrior’s three and Sif? Heimdall relayed that you had them imprisoned, call the guards, they will be freed immediately, and then you shall bring me to Father. I wish to see his state with my own eyes.”

Loki huffed, glaring at Thor. “You’re one to talk—spending most of your time on Midgard,” he said venomously. “And I had my own reasons for imprisoning the Warriors Three, Sif, and Heimdall.” He turned his head away from Thor and sighed. “Alright, I shall free them. Release me so that I can assume the likeness of Odin, lest the guards haul me away to replace your precious friends before I can take you to the All-Father.”

Thor grunted. “Not likely, trickster; I don’t trust you out of arm’s reach, so here by my side, you shall stay. You’ll not wear our father’s face to mask your true self; you have no further need for duplicity. Call the guards or I will, it matters not, you are not in control here any longer. We will set this right.” 

Loki studied Thor while at the same time trying to keep the fear rising in him calm. He didn’t want to call the guards, not as Loki. If they saw him, they would most likely snatch him up and throw him back in that horrid cell. But what other choice did he have?

“GUARDS!” he shouted, not taking his eyes off Thor. Almost immediately, two guards came rushing up to stand behind Thor.

“Yes, your—” The first guard’s eyes widened when he saw Loki. Both of them raised their weapons. "Loki! What have you done with the All-Father? Thor, what is going on here?"

“There they are…brother,” Loki sneered. “Do with them as you wish.”

Thor gave a slight nod to the two men that had arrived. “My brother has deceived you, and in his ruse told you to lock up the warrior’s three and lady Sif. I would ask that you release them, I will take Loki to the All-Father whom I suspect is being kept somewhere close.” He said this last bit with a bitter glare aimed at Loki.

The guards did not question Thor as they raced off to do as he bade them. Thor pulled Loki now by the bicep. “Alright, brother, lead the way. It’s time to go see Father.”

Loki struggled and protested as Thor dragged him along. They walked down several long hallways, to Odin's private bed chambers. Here, Loki told Thor to stop. With the thunder god's grip still on his arm, Loki opened the doors to an empty room.

"There you are," he said, waving a hand toward the vacant bed.

Thor did stop not because of Loki’s direction, but the vacant bed caused him a moment’s hesitation. “What is this, Loki? Where is the All-Father?”

It was just way too easy, Loki thought. His amused smirk turned into a full-blown grin, and he shook his head, not believing just how gullible Thor actually was. Even after all of the many illusions Loki had created over the years, Thor still fell for it every single time. The God of Thunder was truly a trickster’s delight.

“It never gets old.” Loki chuckled, still grinning. He waved his hand again and the bed shimmered. The illusion fell, and in its place was Odin lying on the bed, motionless and asleep. “Do you honestly think I’m dumb enough to leave the All-Father out in the open where people can see? If I made myself look like him, naturally I would need to hide the real one. Otherwise, the servants and chambermaids would question how Odin could be in two places at once.”

Thor was quiet a moment as he studied their father watching his chest rise and fall. The All-Father seemed well, and this fact eased his mind considerably. With the actions Loki had been taking the past few years, Thor was beginning to wonder what he was truly capable of. Seeing his father still well cared for stated to Thor there was still hope for the man standing next to him, and he planned to pull Loki back from whatever precipice he’d pushed himself to as looking at his brother now showed there was still hope to save him. His grip tightened on the trickster’s arm as Thor stated in a half whisper, “Come, brother. You know where I have to take you until father rises from the Odin’s sleep and can pass judgment on your actions.”

Loki's heart sank as Thor dragged him out of the room and down the hallway. He jerked in his brother's tight hold and tried twisting his arm loose. But the more he struggled, the tighter the grip became until it almost made him wince.

"Oh, come on, Thor, not the cell," he said. "You know I don't like being confined."

Thor gave Loki an exasperated look. “Then perhaps you will not do things that give me no other choice but to confine you.”

Thor was kind enough to take Loki the back way to the specialized confinement cell made just for him upon his return from Earth. Using his hand, the door to the room released in a soft whoosh of air, parting to give them swift entrance as Thor continued to pull Loki forward into the cell. “This place is becoming a second home for you these days,” Thor stated in a sad tone. “I will be back to speak with you further once I’ve had a chance to speak with the others.” Thor finally let Loki’s arm go as he gave Loki one last appraising look before turning to leave.

"Appears that way, doesn't it," Loki whispered sadly once Thor had left. He rubbed at the area of his arm where Thor's grasp had left a sore numbness. He looked around him at the all too familiar surroundings, disgusted that he was once again imprisoned in such a small space. Not much had changed in the length of time he had been absent from the place. The overturned and broken furniture still littered the floor, painfully reminding him of the grief he experienced right before Thor had let him out--reminding him of the loss he still suffered through daily. He stared at the spot where Frigga's illusion form had occupied the last time he saw her. Tears formed in his eyes and spilled down his cheeks. If only he could take back the words he had spoken to her last.

Sighing, Loki finally turned, righted one of the chairs, and plopped himself down in it, nudging at a book with the toe of his boot. He still couldn't figure out where his plan went wrong. It should have been flawless. His thoughts continued to come back around to Heimdall, Sif, and the others. Maybe he shouldn't have imprisoned them. But he didn't have any other choice. They, above any other residents, would have known right away that he wasn't Odin. He would just have to explain that to Thor the next time they met.

Thor had been gone a long while, hours even. And when he returned, his face was grave. Loki watched him through the glass from his viewpoint in the corner of the room. Thor reentered the small cubicle; his eyes never leaving Loki’s as he spat, “Treason to the crown, brother? You painted my friends, once your friends, in a very bad light, and you let the guards treat them poorly. Even this could be forgiven, but Heimdall was wounded badly when you unleashed our men of arms on him. I have taken him to the healing chambers, but he almost didn’t make it.” As Thor spoke he’d gotten closer and closer to Loki, stopping in front of his sitting form. His fists clenched tightly as he stood rigid, practically crackling with contained rage.

Loki continued to calmly stare into his brother's eyes. A twinge of guilt surged within him. Finally, he forced himself to look down at his hands in his lap as he fingered at a piece of his clothing.

"Are you going to execute me or clean up my prison cell?" were the only words he spoke.

“What?” Thor seemed taken aback a moment. The thought to execute his brother had never crossed his mind, and the suggestion was disconcerting. What followed the comment though was insulting, and Thor knew Loki was challenging him. “You make light of your own life, Loki, but you know we would never see you executed.” His eyes scanned the broken furniture throughout the room, and Thor’s scowl deepened at his brother’s level of disrespect. He regarded Loki once more, and seeing he was no longer looking at him, Thor continued, “As for your cell, nay I won’t be the one to clean up your mess, you will. Get up.”

Loki didn't respond or comply at first. Instead, he continued playing with the edge of one of his coattails. He didn't know what Thor had in mind that would require him getting up, but he wanted to hinder the moment as long as possible. Since it was Thor, he doubted it would be very bad. He probably wanted to yell at him some more, which he was, by now, pretty used to.

"Oh, really?" he said, finally brushing aside his coattail and pushing himself up to standing. He straightened up and peered into Thor’s eyes. "Wouldn't it be better to go ahead and execute me and get it over with? Put me out of my misery, so to speak, since I'm such a burden on everyone. It would be more merciful than leaving me in this cell to rot for all eternity. That is if I don't go mad first from being in such a small space."

Thor grunted. “Somehow, Loki, I think that you’ll endure. I’ve had enough of this kind of talk, and I’ve had enough of you making messes, it’s time you start cleaning some of them up. You can start here in this room.”

Loki's face turned into a dangerous scowl. "I clean it up?" he said disgustingly. He couldn't believe what Thor had said. "Have you gone mad? I'm not going to clean this up. Call in the servants to do it." At that, he roughly sat back down in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest. "And make it quick, because I will not stay in this filth a minute longer. It..." He lowered his voice and quickly glanced around him, "brings back too many bad memories."

Thor growled, “You created this mess! Surely you cannot expect the servants to come here and do your bidding? You are being ridiculous,” as Thor said this, his hand wrapped around Loki’s bicep, hauling him up off the chair, “It’s time you pick up this mess, Loki, and stop acting so petulant.”

Loki yanked his arm away from Thor, giving him another hard glare. He took a few steps before turning to look at Thor again.

“And what are you going to do if I don’t? Tell Odin when he wakes?” He sneered, bending down to pick up a few books. "If only Mother were here," he mumbled under his breath.

“Do not test me, brother. If Mother were here…” Thor paused, letting out a sad sigh and lowering his head to think of her too recent death, “She would not want you to fall further down this path you’ve chosen.” Seeing Loki picking up his books, Thor gave him a little space, “It doesn’t have to be this way. You’ve fought me at every turn, and I just want to help you.”

Loki picked up a few more books, setting them in a stack to the side. He straightened up and stared forward, outside the cell.

"No, she wouldn't..." he murmured, lost in his own thoughts. He knew Thor was right about Frigga. She would have tried to help him in every way she could, even if he pushed her away. Tears stung at his eyes.

"It's too late," he said softly, bending down to pick up another book and roughly tossing it to the side out of anger, spreading the mess around more than actually cleaning. "You'd be wasting your time. I'm nothing but a monster, and there's nothing you can do to change that. Not now, not ever." He turned to face Thor. "I'm not your brother. How many times do I have to say it? You should just go and help those pathetic mortals you love so dearly, and leave me. I've failed like I've failed at everything else." Sighing, Loki walked over and sat down in the chair again and blankly stared down at the floor.

Thor walked to Loki’s side, laying a hand on the back of his head and letting it fall to his neck where he gave him a gentle squeeze, denoting his compassion for him, “Blood does not make us brothers; love does.” He knelt down, lifting Loki’s chin so that their eyes met, and Loki could see the earnest intent in his eyes, “You haven’t failed until you’ve stopped trying, Loki, and I’m not going to let you stop trying.”

Loki held Thor’s gaze a few minutes, and then pulled himself away and turned his head to look in the opposite direction.

“You blundering oaf, why do you even care? I’ve tried to kill you. I’ve tricked you. I’ve lied to you. But yet…you still pretend to care for me and wish to help me.” Shaking his head, Loki turned to look at Thor again. “Why?”

Thor looked confused. “Why? Because I know you, Loki, better than you think I do. I can’t pretend to say I understand why you’ve done what you’ve done here lately, but I know one thing for sure and that’s that you’re not beyond getting past this. You can change, you may need a little help, but that’s what family is for, isn’t it? Will you let me help you?”

Loki shook his head wearily, a sad smile forming on his lips. He gestured at the cell around them and turned to Thor.

“Is this your idea of help?” he said bitterly. “What other help could you possibly give me, then? You sure didn’t offer any when you let me fall off the Bifrost! Yeah, sure, go ahead and help me. Why not? It can't be any worse than you’ve already done.”

“Than I’ve done?” Thor shook his head, standing. “Therein lies your problem, Loki; you’ve always got someone else to blame for your woes.” Studying Loki a moment, Thor made a decision. He fluidly grabbed Loki by the arm, pulling him off the chair he had been sitting to seat himself before yanking Loki back over his knee. “You know, Loki, you’re right, I’m going to help you help yourself.”

Thor's actions were fast and caught the surprised trickster completely off guard. It wasn't until Loki found himself looking at the floor that he began to understand what had actually happened...and was happening. A chilly tingle crept down his spine and his stomach tightened when he recognized the position he was in. It was an all too familiar position, but one he hadn't been in in a number of years. It was a position he had grown to loathe and had been all too happy to leave behind when he became of age.

His eyes grew wide and a cold sweat started forming on his face. Fear gripped Loki in full force and he started struggling against Thor's hold.

"Thor! What do you think you're doing??" he shouted, kicking his legs and pushing himself up, trying to roll off Thor's knee. "You can't be serious! I thought you were going to help me! What have I done to make you do something like this?? In case you haven't noticed, I'm much too old!" He tried pushing Thor's hand away with his foot.

Thor shook his head at Loki’s earnest struggles to avoid punishment. “Too old perhaps, but by your own actions very fitting!” Thor yanked Loki’s hips back squarely onto his lap before the trickster could manage to wriggle free. “Struggle all you like, brother, you’ll not leave my lap until I’ve deemed you’ve learned a lesson.” As he spoke, Thor pulled the small frame onto his other leg and wrapped one leg over Loki’s kicking ones, so that he had them pinned to futilely kick without being able to get in his way.

Thor wrapped an arm around Loki’s waist to lift his form slightly which gave him easy access to yank down his pants to bare his naked rear end, “You need a wake-up call, Loki, and with father not here to do so, I think it my duty to deliver it,” as he said this, a hard calloused palm met the under curve of Loki’s bottom.

“OW!” Loki yelped and cringed when the pain sank in. “Owww… Whatever that lesson is, I've learned it! You can stop now.” The first slap would have to land on the most sensitive area he thought. He couldn’t believe Thor was actually going through with this, even going so far as to bare him, of all things. It had to be a joke or something! He twisted in Thor's hold and struggled even harder. He wanted to move something—anything—just to hinder the situation and make himself feel like he had some sort of control over it, but his legs were firmly pinned by Thor's leg and weren't going to budge no matter how much he tried moving them. Panicking, he threw his hands back to try and shield the targeted area, grabbing hold and pulling the tails of his coat around to try and cover his exposed rear. His cheeks flushed the faintest pink and he caught himself glancing at the nearby prison cells to make sure they were alone. “No, no, no, no! You can’t do this! It’s most humiliating. What if the others found out?"

“What if they do?” Thor asked nonchalantly as he pulled Loki’s hands away from his clothing and tucked the fabric well out of the way before adjusting his arm and weight to lean over the small of Loki’s back, clasping his hand with Loki’s wrist to his side, effectively pinning Loki’s outer hand to prevent further interruptions. Once Loki was fully secured and immobile, Thor’s other hand came down again in a mantra of hard slaps alternating from cheek to cheek as he spoke, “I don’t care what the others think; you have gone far too long behaving in this manner without getting put back in line. I never wanted to keep you here in this cell. You are right, it’s not for the best, and when father wakes, we will discuss what you need, in detail.”

"Ouch! Ow!" Loki yelled at the pain the new onslaught of swats brought. "It hurts! Stop, please!" A worried look washed over his face when he found himself pinned even more. He twisted around, trying in vain to get loose. He managed to turn around enough where he could look over his shoulder just a bit, only to see the terrifying sight of Thor's hand coming down again and feeling the stinging pain it left in its wake. He uttered a muffled cry and winced. But before Thor could lay down another slap, Loki twisted and moved his rear out of the line of the attack.

Thor grunted shifting Loki so that his hip was now pressed tightly against his, so he would not get out of his grip again showing the trickster that he didn’t appreciate the stunt by awarding his reddening bottom with a heavier set of slaps. “Try to avoid this if you will, but I can assure you that here you will stay until I deem you’ve had enough. The more you fight me, the longer we will be here.”

"Owwwwwwwww!" Loki screamed out as tears began to sting at his eyes. "I still don't understand what I've done to merit this sort of brutal punishment from you! You said you were going to help me, not hurt me! I fail to understand how hitting me is helping!" He screamed out again and jerked forward when an especially painful slap landed on the underside of his bottom.

“Brutal? Truly, Loki? After everything that you’ve done as of late, this, by far, is pale in comparison…which I cannot say the same for your backside any longer,” Thor mused as he took in the myriad of handprints that had now scoured Loki’s shaking cheeks in an array of red hues where the darkest shades were concentrated on Loki’s sit spots. Thor wanted to make sure that Loki would not be sitting comfortably for some time once he’d finished with him. He continued, “No, this is nothing more than the discipline you need. Talking to you has gotten us nowhere, locking you up has just made you bitter, and we have fought as men in the past, but you are not acting as a man now, so why should I treat you like one?”

Loki hung there across Thor's knee, yelling out his discomfort occasionally. He still struggled the best he could, but he was fast growing weary. The tears that were beginning to fill his eyes, spilled freely down his cheeks now as Thor's hand continued its descent on his burning rear. He wasn't sure if his tears were from the pain of the spanking or the pain of Thor's words. His eyes studied the floor in confusion, wincing at each new smack. A sob suddenly escaped his mouth, and he sucked in a breath, hoping Thor hadn't heard.

"Stop, please," he whined in between tears. "I can't take anymore."

“You can and you will,” Thor stated simply. “I will impart fully how I feel about the actions you’ve taken and continue to take. Your path is reckless Loki, and at some point, if you do not curb them, they will get you killed. I cannot abide that, so this is my way of letting you know my level of disappointment.”

Loki squeezed his eyes closed and emitted whimpers as Thor's hand continued to come down, a harsh and painful smack driving out another scream from his throat. Tears streamed down his cheeks as the burning sting built up in his butt. Nothing he said or did would halt Thor's actions, and this scared him more than he cared to admit. His heart pounded in his chest at the thought of how long Thor planned on spanking him. He exhaled the breath he'd been holding and chewed at his bottom lip, thinking on Thor's words. He knew Thor was right, but something deep within him refused to give in. After all, it wasn't entirely his fault, right? He scowled with hatred and tried to twist around in Thor's hold once more.

"Y-you can't put the blame fully on me," Loki spat out between hitched breathing after a long pause. "You and Odin drove me to it! It's your fault that I've carried out such actions. It's not fair that you punish me in this manner when you put me in this very spot! OW! STOP!" Loki began to cry out his misery in full. "You are cruel to me! You claim to be my brother. You claim to love and care about me. But I am nothing more than an object for you to bring low so that you can beat me! If you truly loved me, you would have saved me from falling off the Bifrost. But you didn't! Odin just stood there...And you didn't even come looking for me..." Loki's words trailed off into gut-wrenching sobs.

Thor slowed his pace but did not relent. “That is not true, Loki, I did look for you, we looked for you, but not even Heimdall could see you. You’ve made so many assumptions about your family and our intentions for you, but you’ve never brought these feelings to the surface. Instead, you plotted and schemed in an effort to what?—Feel like you’d hurt us as you have perceived we hurt you? I do not know all of what the All-Father planned or what he wished for the both of us, but, Loki, I am and always will be your brother. I love you, and I’ll always look out for you.”

Loki sobbed miserably as his tensed body finally went limp in Thor’s hold. He wanted to say something if only to comment on what Thor had said, but the words wouldn’t come out. He was too exhausted, and Thor was too stubborn. Besides, his backside was far too sore. He was afraid to say anything else lest Thor decided to keep him there longer.

“I want Mother back,” Loki got out before choking on a sob.

Thor paused, letting out a sigh. He hadn’t expected that remark, and it hit him like a kick in the gut. Frigga and Loki had always been closer than he or Odin as she seemed to understand Loki on a whole other level. He stated solemnly, “I want her back too…” No longer having the heart to continue spanking Loki, Thor relented the punishment to be enough as he tugged Loki’s pants back in place before releasing his hold on him and helping Loki to his feet. Before Loki had a chance to pull away from him, Thor grabbed the sides of his face, pulling him forward to kiss the top of his head before wrapping him in a tight embrace. It hurt his heart to see the tears that stained Loki’s face, and the last thing he wanted his brother to doubt was his care for him.

Sniffling and trying to wipe his nose and eyes and brush his hair out of his face, Loki allowed Thor to hug him. He stiffly complied at first, but as Thor held him tight, Loki eventually eased into the hold. He buried his face in Thor’s shoulder and sobbed for several minutes, afterward pulling away and turning his head to look elsewhere. He sniffed long and hard, putting his hands behind him to gently rub at the soreness in his backside. He winced, hissing through his teeth, as he felt his hot and blistered cheeks. “Ow…” he murmured, turning a soured pout to Thor.

Thor tried not to smile although Loki did look rather young at the moment, sniffling so and rubbing at his sore bottom. He remembered the boy he’d had many adventures with as a boy himself. How they’d grown so far apart. It made him frown at the reality of their situation now. He looked around the room, moving to the upturned bed and uprighting it. “Why don’t you get some rest, Loki. I’ll bring you something from the kitchens to eat.”

Loki nodded in reply to Thor, still staring down at the floor and refusing to look at his brother. He raised his head just enough to look at the bed, then he looked down at himself.

"Could you...find me some...comfortable clothes first?" he said softly, ending it with a sniff. He shifted from one foot to the other and subtly tugged at the seat of the tight leather pants he currently wore, wincing and looking like he might start crying again. His face flushed with embarrassment over having to ask his brother. But he knew he'd never be able to rest in the clothes he had on now. Thor had done a thorough job on his posterior, and he was highly uncomfortable. Normally he had no problem with his wardrobe choice, but as he stood there he started to realize just how uncomfortable his trousers actually were and wanted to get out of them as quickly as possible. Of course, his bottom also currently felt like it was on fire and the leathers didn't help any by holding in the heat and rubbing against his butt. He whimpered and turned a timid look to Thor, trying his best not to show just how uncomfortable he actually was. "Please?"

Thor gave him a small smile and a nod. “I think that can be arranged. In the meantime, why don’t you disrobe and climb into bed? I will bring you something else to wear when I bring you food.” Thor didn’t wait for a reply from Loki as he moved to the door, flashing his hand as the door whooshed open to accept his departure, quickly shutting as he’d left.

After Thor left, Loki continued to stare in the direction he disappeared, not entirely sure what to do next. Everything that happened had completely derailed him. Finally, he sighed and walked to the side of the bed, taking his coat off as he went. Not being able to stand it any longer, he pulled his pants down, gritting his teeth. He twisted around to get a look at the damage and grimaced when he saw the deep redness of his cheeks.

“That oaf,” he grumbled, giving his rear a rub. He wasted no time getting his clothes off. And once disrobed, he crawled into bed to lie on his stomach, pulling the covers over him and burying himself deep within them. He lay there and stared at the wall, thinking over everything and hoping to shut himself off from the rest of the world. He marveled at how fast everything had come unraveled—how he went from sitting on the throne of Asgard to lying in a prison cell with a sore bottom. He shuddered at remembering Thor spanking him and then he scowled. How dare Thor treat him that way. Was this a sign of things to come? Every time he did something displeasing, was Thor going to throw him over his knee and spank him like a toddler? What had he done to deserve such a humiliating fate?

Loki snuggled into his pillow, a few tears rolling down his cheek. He didn't want to think about his miserable life anymore. Unable to hold his eyes open any longer, he drifted off to sleep.


	2. Brothers Catching Up

Thor returned within a few hours to see Loki was asleep, so he did not rouse him. Instead, he padded over beside his bed leaving the fresh array of fruits and cheeses along with the silk pajamas he’d brought for Loki’s comfort. With these items, Thor also left a simple book that he knew Loki had enjoyed very much growing up. He knew that Loki was missing Frigga, and the book was a gift from her. Thor wasn’t very good when it came to giving comfort, but he hoped the book would give Loki some small solace.

Leaving as quietly as he had come, Thor decided to let Loki rest for the remainder of the night. There was plenty of time to speak further in the morning.

Loki woke the next morning momentarily confused. All he saw was white walls and a bright light. He groaned when everything came back to him and the reality that he was now locked away hit him. He rolled over, yelping and jumping when his butt touched the mattress. The pain that shot through his cheeks made him roll back to his previous position. Oh, yeah, there was that, too. He grumbled as he rubbed at his soreness. It was at this moment that he caught sight of the pair of pajamas draped over the side of the bed next to him. Immediately he snatched them up, throwing aside the covers. Gently, he eased himself to standing and dressed. Before pulling his pants all the way up, he chanced another look at his butt. It wasn’t as red as it had been when he went to sleep, but it still displayed his recent humiliation quite clearly. His face flushed hotly at the thought of it. Huffing, he angrily jerked his pants up and secured them in place, wishing he hadn’t afterward. At least these pants weren’t as painful as the leather ones.

After recovering from the new wave of pain, he turned to peruse the platters of fruits and cheeses. He admitted that he didn’t feel much like eating, but he forced himself to take a few grapes. Then his hand landed on the book beside the cheese platter. He paused in the middle of chewing to stare at it as if it was a snake curled up there instead. He carefully picked it up as he would have done to a dainty flower and ran his fingers over the leather cover, feeling of the raised embellishments around the edges and the runes in the middle. So many memories flooded his senses. Slowly he sat back on the bed, only to spring back up to standing. He hissed out his discomfort and rubbed vigorously at his rear.

“When is this going to go away?” he said aloud in frustration. Sighing, he settled for standing and began flipping through the book. It had been a very long time since he last saw it or even thought about it. He remembered Frigga reading to him out of it when he was a boy. It had been a Yule gift, given to him by her. He turned each page with care as he looked over the colorful pictures and runes. Suddenly he was transported back to that memorable afternoon when he and Frigga spent the day out by the lily pond in the garden. He had been five then. They packed a picnic lunch and spent time reading from the book he now held.

Loki closed the book, a single tear trickling down his cheek. He turned and lay back down on his stomach across the bed, holding the book in one arm. He closed his eyes and found himself drifting back to sleep.

Thor had spent much of the morning delegating tasks that normally fell to Odin (and which was a major reason that he hadn’t wanted the position.) This, of course, was followed by a heated debate with his friends as to what should be done with Loki. Thor assured them that he would look after Loki until the All-Father rose from the Odin’s sleep and was able to pass judgment. His friends were disgruntled about the whole affair, and they had right to be having been locked down in the dungeons for several months. Thor only told them that Loki had been ‘handled’ and that he should make no more trouble for them. Odin should be waking soon, he hoped.

Thor had the servants bring down some serving trays on a cart to settle in front of the door to Loki’s cell, dismissing them once they had arrived. Entering the cell, Thor noted Loki was still lying in bed. “I have brought lunch; come, Loki, break bread with me.” Thor wheeled the cart with platters of food and a flagon of wine for Loki and a pitcher of beer for Thor.

Loki stirred a little but refused to get up. He mumbled a few incoherent words and then irritably told Thor to go away.

"...I don't really care to look at your face at this time," he added.

Thor responded by tearing Loki’s covers away. “Enough of this moping, Loki; come eat.” Thor proceeded then to upright the table that still lay on its side as well as the chair pulling both up next to Loki’s bed, so the two could dine together. Silently he set a meal on each side of the table sitting in the chair he’d set out and looking at Loki expectantly.

Loki jumped at feeling the covers suddenly ripped off and Thor bellowing over him. He reflexively threw his hands back to shield his rear, expecting a swat to be applied there. When it never came, he cautiously turned and watched Thor go about preparing the table. When Thor had seated himself in the chair opposite, Loki sighed and pushed himself up to sit on the side of the bed, still finding it an uncomfortable task. He gently situated himself in a position that afforded him the most padding, stuffing one of the pillows under him to help, and sourly stared across the table at Thor. He knew he probably looked like a disheveled mess, but for once in his life he didn't care.

"There," he said, "are you happy?"

Thor smiled broadly at Loki. “As a matter of fact, I am. Oh, come, brother; surely it is not so painful to join me to sup? It has been too long since we dined just you and I and not in the great hall.”

Loki continued to give Thor a soured stare, which eventually ended in an eye-roll. He couldn’t believe Thor. He really couldn’t.

“No, it is not painful. I just can’t understand you,” Loki said, at last, shaking his head. “You still wish to dine with me after everything that’s happened? I impersonated Odin and sat on the throne of Asgard, locked away your friends. And you…” Loki paused, slipping a hand under him, his face flushing, “made it quite clear to me that you weren’t pleased with it. And yet here you sit and want to eat with me as if nothing had happened. Won't the others be displeased when they find out that you're consorting with the enemy?—the 'traitor' of Asgard? I'm almost sure they would rather run their sword through me." He finally reached to pick up a piece of bread from his plate.

Thor responded nonchalantly, “Perhaps they would wish such, but I would never let them do it.” Thor took a long swig of his mead before responding further. “It is not my place to judge you, Loki; it is my place to watch over you. Father stirs and should arise from the Odin sleep at any time. He will hear of your deeds and will deign to pass judgment, not I. Until then, though, let us just be as we once were. I am weary of our opposition and only wish to merely dine with my brother.”

Loki's face grew paler at hearing the news that Odin was close to waking. The piece of bread he was in the middle of chewing suddenly felt like lead in his mouth and he forced it down.

"Odin...stirs?" he said. Suddenly he lost his appetite again. He looked over at Thor, studying the blond-haired man a few moments. Tears began filling his eyes. He would not admit it even to himself, but he did love his brother. Part of him was glad for the present company, even if he was still angry over Thor spanking him. But to hear that Odin was on the verge of waking killed the moment. "What do you think he will do with me after he finds out what I've done?"

Thor was silent as he contemplated Loki's words. "I do not know, Loki..." Seeing the worry working its way across Loki's features made Thor frown. "Fear not; I do not think Father will execute you if that is your worry."

Loki relaxed a little, but his facial features still remained tense as he took another bite of the food on the plate before him and took a sip of his drink. Maybe Odin wouldn’t execute him, but it was hard to be sure of it. One never knew what the All-Father was capable of. Loki felt like Frigga had held Odin back from doing a lot of things concerning him over the years, but now that she was gone…Loki shook the thoughts from his head, forcing himself to take another bite. He chewed silently and swallowed.

“Execute, no, but he could always banish me,” Loki said gravely. “Which is about as bad, if not worse.” He looked up at Thor.

Thor had no words having felt this pain personally, instead, he inhaled deeply. “He could do many things that I cannot predict, but I will be with you when he wakes, and I will speak for you as I do not think banishment will help you as it did for me.”

Loki nodded, turning his attention back to his food. He stopped when Thor's words finally sank in. He turned his eyes up to look at his brother, not sure what Thor had meant. He didn't want to think about it.

"I do not wish to discuss it anymore," he said softly.

Thor nodded solemnly as the two returned to quietly eating.

 

Not many more words were shared between them that afternoon, but as the next few days came and went, Thor made a point to visit Loki for at least one meal. So it was that almost a week had past when Thor came to meet with Loki but this time his face was grim as he walked through Loki’s cell door. Standing up straight, Thor announced, “Father wishes to see you, Loki.”

At first, Loki didn’t stir from his place on the bed as he calmly turned a page in the book he was holding. He did his best to ignore Thor, but his face showed that he was trying to hold back the worry and fear that came from hearing the words his brother had announced—the words he had been dreading ever since he heard the news that Odin was waking. Finally, he rolled his head to the side and looked over at Thor.

“Now?” he said, his brow furrowing. “But I’m not properly dressed.” He gestured at the pajamas he was currently wearing. “I-I cannot go." He shakily turned another page of his book, even though he hadn’t read what was on the previous pages.

“You may dress, I will let you present yourself with dignity,” Thor stated somberly, giving Loki a moment to collect himself before heading to the throne room.

Loki swallowed, putting his book down and moving to a standing position beside the bed. He nervously played at the bottom part of his shirt as he eyed Thor. His mind raced, trying to figure some way out of the current mess he was in. He'd never admit it to anyone, not even himself, but he was truly frightened at the thought of what the All-Father had planned for him. Execution? Banishment? Flogging? A life sentence locked away in the cell he was currently occupying? Whatever it ended up being, he wasn't ready for it.

He continued to stare silently at his brother, partly waiting for Thor to turn around to face the opposite direction so he could dress privately, and partly to delay the inevitable.

"I can't dress with you staring at me like that," he finally said. "It's not decent."

Thor raised an eyebrow. “Surely you would not pick now to become so modest?” Shaking his head, Thor turned away from Loki, noting his hesitance. “You never cease to amuse me, Loki. Do not dawdle; you know Father grows impatient when made to wait.”

"What do you mean? I've always been modest," Loki replied as he slowly undressed and put on a casual tunic, green trousers, and boots. He ran a brush through his hair afterward. The whole process took less time than he wanted it to. He sighed nervously and walked up to Thor's side. "I-I'm ready. Let's go and...get this over with." He offered his hands out to Thor. "I suppose you will want to present me to Odin in cuffs."

Thor shook his head no. “I don’t think that will be necessary.” Instead, Thor laid a comforting hand on Loki’s shoulder as he waved his hand to open the cell door, the two making their way to Odin’s throne room.


	3. Meeting With Odin

Odin did not have an audience in his chambers, but he was most certainly expectantly waiting like a statue atop the dais next to his throne. His knuckles gripped Gungnir tightly, and a tired grimace painted his face. Seeing the two walk through the door Odin fixed Loki with a harsh stare as he rumbled, “Loki, you have much to answer for, my son.”

Loki expected as much. Odin called him 'son', yet he never offered a greeting that made him feel like he was that son. Instead, he always cut right to the chase—never hesitating to bring to light Loki's wrongdoings. Would it kill him to say, "I'm glad to see you, my son." just once? The trickster stood rigidly, a forced smile plastered on his face.

"So I've been told," he said. "But I don't understand what I've done wrong. As always, I have been wrongly accused."

Odin’s glare turned hard. “Can you really think me that naive? I have heard several counts of your wrong doing while you usurped the throne in my absence. No, you know full well what you have done, and I’ll not broker any more lies from you this day. You shall be stripped of all your Asgardian powers and banished to Midgard. Perhaps living amongst the humans will teach you some humility like it did your brother!”

Before Loki had a chance to respond, Thor interjected, “Father, I do not see such a punishment for Loki being effective. Separation has already done worlds of harm to this family. Is there no other way?”

Loki turned to Thor, thinking he had heard him wrong. He studied Thor’s face closely, trying to find some shred of deceit there, but all he saw was a genuine concern. Thor had told him he would speak in his favor, but he had doubted it.

Loki turned to face Odin again, bitterness etched in his features.

“Why are you always quick to accuse me of lying and then passing the harshest judgment on me?” he asked. “You never give me a chance to say my part. I didn’t usurp the throne as you say. I merely took my rightful place on it because there was no one else here to rule Asgard. Thor didn’t want it and you had fallen into the Odinsleep. What else was I supposed to do? Am I not your son, a prince? Do I just sit idly by while Asgard goes without a ruler?” Loki’s face scrunched up in an effort to understand.

“Silence!” Odin bellowed. “You air that you justly ruled Asgard when you tossed its heroes into the dungeons to rot just so that you could masquerade as an image of me to sit on the throne without anyone getting in your way! This has nothing to do with you taking the throne in mine and Thor’s absence! This is about the lengths you went to deceive our people. You knew that Thor would have been called back to rule. If he’d been called to do so, he would have readily come, but that is not what you wanted was it, Loki?”

Loki was momentarily taken aback by the outburst, but he kept calm, trying not to show his nervousness. He glanced at Thor then back to Odin.

“Deceive? I didn't mean to deceive anyone. It’s like I told Thor,” he replied, licking his lips, “I only took on your appearance because I didn’t think the people would accept me as their king. You went into the Odinsleep, so I thought I would just make myself look like you to make it look like you were still awake. What's the harm in that? And I had my reasons for tossing certain people into the dungeons."

Odin shook his head. “Your excuses do not hold weight here, Loki, and the fact that you would find any reason to throw fellow Asgardians into the depths of the dungeons without merit weighs on my heart. Perhaps to send you off to Midgard untethered would be a disservice to the humans who have already suffered so much by your presence there.”

He sighed heavily. “Thor is right, your lack of judgment leaves little chance for true reflection without guidance.” The All-Father slammed Gungnir on the floor and a wave of light reverberated like a sound wave off of the stem of the weapon washing over Loki. “So it shall be that you will relinquish the gifts you have abused.” Looking to Thor now, Odin continued, “And as you wished, Loki will remain here within Asgard’s walls, but since you vouch for knowing what he needs, you shall be his keeper.”

"What?" It all happened so fast, Loki's mind had a hard time getting a grip on the current turn of events. "I don't need a keeper! And I'm not making excuses! You just won't listen to reason. You never do!" Tears started filling his eyes. "You want some excuse to find fault with me, to get rid of me, to shove me into a corner where you don't have to look at your pathetic giant-spawn. Why don't you just come out and say it?"

Odin’s gaze was weary. “You find fault in yourself, Loki; I never once cast you out, you were the one who left first, remember? It wasn’t until you decided to oppose this family did a problem ever arise.”

Thor hadn’t expected their father to give him guardianship over Loki, and the thought was arduous to imagine as Loki was and would be difficult to handle. He was not one to shirk responsibility, though, and planned to do his best to help Loki. Feeling the need to do so now, he turned to Loki. “Father could have been much harsher on you, Loki, be happy that he has granted you such leniency.”

For once in the trickster's life, he was speechless as he looked from Odin to Thor and back to Odin. His face scrunched up in an effort to understand before he put on a mask of innocence.

"There you go blaming me again. I see that everyone in this room is against me, as usual. Never once cast me out? What about on the Bifrost? You could have helped me! Instead, you allowed Thor to push me off!" He turned to address the latter. "You call being under your care leniency? While I'm grateful that I wasn't pushed away, this time, I hardly call being under your watchful eyes leniency. What do I look like?—a child that needs a babysitter? I already know how that will end up. One wrong move and you'll spa—" Loki quickly shut his mouth when he realized what he was about to say. His face turned the slightest red as he held Thor's gaze. He turned an embarrassed look to Odin. "Never mind," he mumbled under his breath.

Odin’s eyes reflected curiosity. “No, do finish. Whatever it was you were about to say brought you pause and, dare I say it, a humility that I’ve not yet seen since your return to Asgard.”

Thor regarded Loki, giving him a look that spoke that if he didn’t tell their father that he would.

Loki lowered his gaze to the floor, flashing Thor a pleading look for him not to say anything. “He…uh…will _speak_ to me about how foolishly I’ve been.” Loki cringed inwardly as he continued to nervously play at the bottom part of his tunic. The lie sounded awful even to him, but he didn't know what else to say on such short notice. His own mouth had put him in a tight spot he was totally unprepared for and it would take more than the lie he just told to pull him out of it. A prickling fear crept down his back as he eyed Thor out of the corners of his eyes.

Thor shook his head. “What he meant to say, Father, was that I put him over my knee and gave him a thorough spanking. Although if he continues lying to you like this I may feel the need to do so again in short order.”

Odin seemed surprised momentarily as this news sunk in. “Spanked him, did you?” He gave Loki a quizzical look before nodding. “I would not have thought to do so, but it would seem to have the desired effect. I implore you to continue as you see fit. Perhaps going back to the basics is just what’s needed here.”

When Loki looked up at Odin again, his face was burning with embarrassment.

“Y-you can’t be serious,” he said, taking a big step away from Thor.

Odin took a moment to consider Loki before giving a short nod. “I am quite serious. In fact, I think I might take to the idea myself the next time you err. It’s refreshing to see a punishment that actually gets your attention verse just your scorn.”

"You will not!" Loki snapped. "I will not allow you to humiliate me so!" Taking one final glance between Odin and Thor, he turned and ran down the length of the throne room.

Odin slammed his staff down and the doors to his chambers slammed shut with a heavy boom as Odin barked, “You will not dictate to me what I will do with you, boy! As for humiliation, you need to know shame because you are sorely lacking! Now, get back here, or so help me I’ll have Thor fetch you, and I’ll be the one to spank you here and now for your impudence!”

Thor only sighed, shaking his head at Loki’s lack to take any responsibility for his actions.

Loki skidded to a stop, frantically looking around the room for another way out. Finally, his eyes landed on Odin. He continued to back up toward the door, studying the All-Father, looking from his lap to his hands.

“I’ve changed my mind. Banish me, please,” he said. "Anything but..." He swallowed, the word dying in his mouth.

Odin sighed. “Thor, Retrieve your brother. It would seem that your choice of punishment is indeed fit if he protests this highly.”

Thor tried to reason with Loki as he strode towards him with purpose. “Brother, you’re only making things worse on yourself. Do not make me drag you like a kicking child back to our father. Surely your shame is already great enough.”

Memories of pain were on Loki's mind as he watched Thor come nearer and nearer. Thor spanking him had been bad enough. He didn't relish having another dose of it from Odin. It had been a long time, but he could still remember just how powerful Odin's hand was. Not being able to control himself, Loki placed his hands behind him to shield his rear, shaking his head. Thor was right. His shame was far too great as it was, but he couldn't help it. There was no way he'd be able to go through with this.

"Thor, you can't do this." Tears came into his eyes as he pleaded. "This is utter madness! What would Mother say to all of this?"

Thor frowned, making it to Loki. “I don’t think Mother would disagree with disciplining you in this way, Loki. Father would not have felt the need to now either if you’d just come as you were told, but you have to make things difficult on yourself. One day you will learn that facing your problems rather than running from them will afford you a welcomed reprieve.” Thor placed a firm hand on his bicep now as he gently led him towards the All-Father whom said nothing but watched on with a leveled seriousness.

Fear gripped Loki as Thor pulled him along. He refused to admit it, but Thor had been right about Frigga. As much as the All-Mother had pampered him as a child, she was never one to shirk her duties as a mother, especially when it came to disciplining her sons. But she had never been as harsh as Odin when it came to spanking, which is what terrified Loki now.

He struggled in Thor's hold when they got closer to the throne and Odin, and tried twisting his way out of it, all the time keeping a wary eye on the All-Father.

"Please, let me go," he said in a low tone.

Thor inhaled deeply. “Loki, you know that I cannot disobey father, and you should not have either. You would not be facing him like this if you’d never ran in the first place.”

Odin seemed annoyed that Loki was still fighting Thor the whole way. “When will you learn obedience, boy? You continue to make this worse than need be by fighting it tooth and nail.”

As Thor walked up the steps to the throne, Odin set Gungnir to the side and seated himself. Thor dragged Loki up to stand beside the All-Father, pushing him forward so that he was ready to be laid into position across his father’s knee. Thor left him there, though, letting his arm go and taking a few steps back.

Odin now stared up at Loki expectantly. “Go on, then. You’ll lower yourself across my lap and, for once in your life, accept the punishment you have coming.”  


Loki scowled at Odin, wanting to say something snarky like, _“You’d fight it too if someone was about to lay pain across your rear.”_ But he thought better of it and kept his mouth closed, settling instead for giving the All-Father a silent, dirty look that said what he felt. He turned and glanced at Thor before turning to look down at Odin’s lap. He already felt his face burning all the way up to his ears.

“You expect me to willingly give in to this?” he said. “I still don’t understand what I’ve done to deserve this sort of treatment, other than you just enjoy seeing me suffer.”

Odin returned Loki’s glare with an equally measured look of growing impatience. “Yes, Loki, your suffering is all any of us here are interested in, you are a self-deluded, spoiled brat. You wonder why I feel a need to punish you after everything you’ve set in motion, the choices you continue to make of reckless endangerment and careless disregard of everyone around you including yourself. You need to be brought to account for the deeds you have done and your lack of repentance that you’ve done them at all. Now, I’ll tell you one last time, over my knee.”

Loki continued to keep his hands tucked behind him, not moving. Anger flashed across his face at hearing Odin's words. He knew he should obey, that every minute he hesitated made the situation grow more dangerous for him, but he just couldn't bring himself to do the shameful action Odin expected of him. His feet were heavy like they were made of lead. Try as he might, he just couldn't budge from the spot he stood in.

"I'm not a spoiled brat," he spat out. "And I've made the choices I have because you drove me to make them. So you're just as guilty of the crime as I am. It's not fair that I alone am the one who is always punished! You should be held accountable for being such a horrid father!"

It was too late. The damage had already been done. Loki realized that he should have kept his tongue in check only after he saw the anger on Odin's face.

Odin brokered no further vocal reply, instead moving into action and grabbing the front of Loki’s tunic and roughly pulling him with one swift motion to splay him easily across his knees. It wasn’t until he’d thrown Loki over his lap did he speak. “You most certainly _are_ a spoiled, ungrateful brat, and perhaps I could have made better choices raising you, but mark my words, Loki, if I’ve driven you to make decisions through poor parenting then I rightly plan to drive you to behave with better parenting now.”

Everything happened so fast. One second Loki was looking at Odin’s reddening face, the next he was looking at the marble floor. And it was only then that he realized what had happened, and fear stabbed him like a knife. He began kicking and scrambling to right himself, throwing his hands back to shield his rear, which was already clenching in anticipation at what was coming next.

“W-wait. What?? N-no! Please,” he pleaded. “I’m sorry! I did not mean what I said. I take it back. I only spoke out of anger at what you said.”

“And now my hand will reply back to show my feelings to what you have spoken." As Odin said this, he shifted Loki’s weight forward so that his face was inches from the floor as Odin swung a leg over Loki’s kicking legs. The hands that worked to cover Loki’s rear were easily pinned to his side along with Loki’s coat tails leaving a taught-drawn bottom that Odin brought his heavy hand down with a thunderous clap on.

"OW!" Loki shouted as he struggled to get out of Odin's hold. "I fail to see how this is better parenting! Besides, I said I was sorry! Doesn't that count for anything?"

“Your apologies will be heard when they are sincere. The only thing you are sorry of now is the fact that you are being punished for your defiance.” Odin continued his heavy-handed swats as he spoke, and as much as Loki tried to struggle to avoid the blows, he only managed a wiggle from side to side.

Loki whimpered and cried out as Odin's hand came down hard.

"Bu-but they _are_ sincere!" he hissed out between his teeth. "Ouch! I-I see no reason for this—ow! Thor already s-s-spanked me once—yow!—isn't that enough? Why must I suffer through this again?"

Odin’s hand did not waver as he continued to pepper Loki’s bottom. “Perhaps if you learned a lesson the first time around, this wouldn’t bear repeating, but you haven’t, have you, Loki? It’s still the tune of poor me, why me that you sing. I had no intention of spanking you until you decided that you would speak against me and openly disregard my requests. If you see no reason for this, then I gather I haven’t been doing it near long enough.”

Loki remained silent except for outcries of pain as he thought over everything Odin had said. Near long enough? Panic began to build in his chest.

"No, no! You've made your point quite clear. You can stop now! Ouch! I-I understand. Please, I-I meant no disrespect. I-I was...just...just afraid." He twisted and turned so that he could look over his shoulder, grimacing at seeing Odin’s hand continue to come down on his backside. Then he forced himself to look past that, at Thor standing to the side of the dais. His face turned redder at seeing his brother standing there, calmly watching the whole debacle. He quickly turned around to look at the floor again.

“OW!” Loki shouted out when a particularly hard slap came down. He began wriggling again, trying to get at least one hand free. By now he was fighting tears that were fast collecting in his eyes as the sting of the spanking prickled across his backside. "STOP!" he shouted out, a sob catching in his throat. "It hurts,"

“It’s supposed to hurt, Loki, that’s why it is considered a punishment.” Even as he said this, Odin must have felt some compassion for his son as the sound of Loki on the verge of tears caused him to slow and lessen the intensity of the blows Loki was receiving, although Odin’s hand did not still entirely. “If you want this to stop, Loki, it’s time for you to tell me what you’ve done wrong. I’m tired of always having to relay this to you when I know good and well that you are in denial. So, you want this to end, I want to hear what you feel you need this spanking for.”

Loki whimpered, his eyes darting around aimlessly. His vision was blurred by the tears that kept coming, but it didn’t really matter since all he could see was the floor. He knew he had done wrong. In fact, he hated that he disobeyed. He hadn’t wanted to. But he still didn’t want to give in and admit it. And what was worse is that he had no other choice but to do so, since Odin made it clear that he would keep on spanking him. Loki squirmed and winced, his bottom feeling heated and uncomfortable. The sting of Odin’s palm continued to come down, making it feel worse with every swat. At least Odin hadn’t pulled his pants down, that much he was grateful for. Loki wanted the spanking to stop, but he refused to give in. He couldn’t.

“Owwwww…” Loki sobbed. “You can’t be serious. I-I…”

As if hearing his inner fears, Odin started to tug at his breeches, stating earnestly, “Oh, I’m quite serious, and I see I need to take this up a notch to help you let go of that pride.” Odin worked the pants down with ease once the leather ties were loosened, and the supple material fell to his knees leaving Loki quite bare as Odin then resumed bringing his calloused hand down on the ever reddening posterior.

Loki’s eyes widened and a sickening knot formed in his stomach at feeling Odin tugging his pants down, and an unnatural screech escaped his mouth when Odin’s palm landed on his bare flesh.

“OKAY!” he squealed out through hitched breathing. “I disobeyed! I disobeyed you. I’m sorry!” He tried to kick his legs. “I didn’t want to. I was just...just afraid of being spanked.”

Odin nodded, his hand still coming down, but more as a formality to get across his point while he spoke than to deliver pain. “That I see quite clearly, but it’s not the full extent of why you are prostrated over my lap. Your arrogance to take no blame for any faults that you have and your unwillingness to wish to change for the better is where we are at an impasse. Whether you wish to acknowledge it or not, I care for you, Loki, and I may not have been the best father, but at least I’m trying. Can you say the same of yourself?”

Loki wasn’t prepared for that answer. His mind was focused solely on the pain in his rear now, and he had hoped the answer he gave would still Odin’s palm. He sniffled and cried and tried moving his rear out of the way of Odin’s hand.

“Pleasssse ssstop,” he wailed, choking on a sob. “I'm sorry."

Feeling he’d gotten his point across, Odin’s hand gave Loki three more hard swats before stilling on Loki’s quivering bottom as he acquiesced to Loki’s pleas. He did not let him stand, though, as he spoke, “I’ll accept your apology, and we will consider the matter clear. I wish to move forward from this point. Your brother is to be your guardian until you can prove to me that you don’t need the guidance, and if you give him too much trouble, you can be sure that I will also help guide you.” As Odin said this, he gave Loki’s rear end a few quick taps to emphasize just what his help would entail.

Loki twisted his head around to look over his shoulder at Odin. His face was red and streaked with tears, his hair clinging to it. He tried saying something, but his hitched breathing and sobs wouldn’t allow it, so he quickly nodded that he understood.

“Y-y-yes, sir,” he said, sniffling.

Hating to see his son so disheveled, Odin helped to pull his pants back into place before righting him to his feet. Once he was standing, Odin laid a hand on his shoulder giving it a gentle squeeze before addressing Thor, “Thor, take your brother to his quarters to rest.”

Thor nodded, moving up beside Loki and gently prodding. “Come, brother, let’s get you cleaned up.”

Loki couldn't bring himself to look at Thor or Odin as he struggled to get his breathing under control. He was only partly aware of Odin's hand on his shoulder, the rest of his mind being on his throbbing, hot backside, of which he was busy rubbing. He was, however, grateful to hear that Odin wasn't going to make him stay alone in the prison cell, and instead requested he be sent to his own room.

Sniffling, Loki quietly followed Thor. Too ashamed to look up at him, he kept his eyes on the floor, hissing and wincing occasionally as he continued rubbing vigorously at his butt.

Thor left Loki to his thoughts as they made it back to his quarters, and once they had made it, he opened the door for him. "Try to get some rest, Loki. I will have the kitchens bring you up something to eat, so you can adjust. I will be by in the morning to fetch you."

Loki stood in the middle of his room after Thor closed the door, nursing his backside and deciding what to do next. He was relieved to finally be alone and in the privacy of his own room. At this point, he wanted to just stay there and never show himself outside the door. But he knew that wouldn’t be possible. Thor’s words about ‘fetching him the next morning’ didn’t settle well with him. In fact, his stomach knotted and his heart raced at what he meant by that. He started getting panicky again, and a few tears escaped his eyes at the thought of them inflicting more punishment on him. He turned and mulled around for a few minutes before attempting to sit down on the side of the bed. Finding it painfully uncomfortable, he got up and began to pace.

It had been a long time since Loki set foot inside his room. He suddenly felt a comfort and security he hadn’t felt in awhile, not since he fell into the hands of the Chitauri. After glancing at the tapestries, paintings, and star charts that hung on his walls, he scanned all of the titles of the books on the shelves to make sure they were still in order. Seeing that everything was as it had been when he left it, he sighed and went to his private bath to wash up.

When Loki finally came out of his bath, clean and dressed in night clothes, he was met with dinner perfectly arranged on the table before him. He knew sitting was an impossible task, so he annoyingly settled for eating his meal standing up. After eating, he settled down on his stomach in bed and thought about Odin's words until he fell into a restless sleep.


	4. Outing

Thor had given Loki time to sleep in coming in the later part of the morning with plans to take him down to eat before heading on a ride out of Asgard to give Loki a chance to get a breath of fresh air. The weather was just turning to spring, and it was perfect for an outing. He gave Loki’s door a brisk knock. “Brother! Rise and shine; we have much to see today.”

Loki startled awake when the second knock sounded. It took him a few seconds to realize what woke him. When he heard Thor’s voice on the other side of the door, he bolted upright, wincing when his rear told him it was still sensitive. Was it morning already? He shuddered, not wanting to know what Thor had in mind for him. Quickly and silently he lay back down and buried himself deeper under the covers, covering his head. If he kept quiet maybe Thor would go away and leave him alone.

Thor waited several minutes at the door before calling again, “Loki?” After no response followed yet again, Thor took it upon himself to let himself in. Loki was still buried under the covers, and Thor threw the covers off of him in one fell swoop. “The morning is wasting away, Loki! Come, I have plans for us, and you staying in bed all day is unacceptable.”

Loki jumped in fear at feeling the covers removed from him. He threw his hands back and covered his rear in expectation of Thor spanking him.

“Please, don’t,” he pleaded, burying his face in his pillow. “I’m sorry.”

Thor felt like a heel that Loki would be this terrified of him. “Loki, I did not come here to punish you, and I have no plans to do so again unless you do something that merits punishment. I came here to take you to breakfast and a ride…I thought you would appreciate the freedom of being outside the city walls after being cooped up for so long.”

Loki rolled over on his side and looked up at Thor.

“Oh…” he softly said, feeling relief. “You said last night that you would fetch me in the morning…I thought…” He cleared his throat. Loki frowned when Thor’s words sank in. “Ride?” He suddenly felt ill, his face flushing. After everything he had been through, riding on a horse was the last thing he wanted to do. He turned a glare up at Thor. “You oaf. How do you expect me to…to sit in the saddle?” His hand absently rubbed at his right butt cheek. "I'm still sore."

Thor gave Loki an annoyed glare at the name calling. “Watch the insults, brother.” Giving Loki a small smirk, he continued, “And if you’re going to be such a big baby about it, I’ll get you a cushion for your saddle, but we’re going, so get up.”

Loki lowered his head at the scolding, and then his face blushed a deeper hue of red at the thought of everyone seeing him riding around with a pillow in his saddle. He swallowed, looking up at Thor.

“That’s not funny,” he said sullenly. “You know everyone would see it. You wish me to be the laughingstock of Asgard?” He grabbed for the covers and settled back down on his stomach. "Why must we go out, anyway? I don't feel like it. So leave me alone." He turned the other way so that his back was facing Thor, making it quite clear he was done with the conversation.

Incensed by Loki’s attitude, Thor tore his blankets back off. “I said we’re going, and unless you want an even sorer bottom, I’d suggest you get out of that bed and get yourself dressed. I’ll not tell you again, Loki.”

Loki quickly rolled over to look at Thor, his eyes wide. Seeing the irritation on Thor's face, he scooted to the farthest side of the bed, taking care to keep the back part of him out of Thor's reach.

"You wouldn't dare! You would spank me just because I do not wish to go with you? I'm an individual that can make my own choices. You can't force me into doing anything against my will! If I don't feel like going with you on your romp through the gardens, then I don't have to go."

Thor folded his arms over his chest, becoming increasingly annoyed with Loki's obstinance. "I've been put in charge of your well-being, Loki, so until you are your own individual that can make your own choices, I'll be making them for you, and sitting in bed sulking the day away is not going to be how you spend the rest of your day. I don't want to punish you again, especially so soon, but if you push me, I will be forced to push back."

Loki glowered up at Thor, his bottom lip slightly pooching and his nostrils flaring. How dare Thor speak to him in such a way! He didn’t care if Odin left him in charge or not, he refused to sit by and allow this…blond-haired buffoon…to dictate what he did. If he wanted to sit in his room and sulk for a week, he was free to do so. At least he'd be out of everyone else's hair, so they couldn't complain. Loki’s mind worked furiously, trying to figure a way out of the current mess. He didn’t want another spanking, definitely didn’t want another one, but he also didn’t like the thought of having to sit on a horse. But it was clear that nothing he said was going to make Thor leave. He remained quiet, playing with the edge of his pillow, refusing to move.

“I don’t care what the All-Father says. You are _not_ my keeper,” he finally breathed out, barely above a whisper. An icy chill crept down his spine after he realized what he had said, and he secretly hoped that it had been low enough where Thor didn’t hear it. His eyes nervously shot up to look at his towering brother.

Not really wanting to have to spank Loki again did not, however, change Thor's course of action as he grabbed Loki's ankle, snatching him forward as he took a seat on the bed. He pulled Loki over his lap in one fluid motion. Thor barked, "Have it your way, then." He wasted no time bringing his hand down in swift hard slaps to Loki's still very tender bottom.

“Nononononononono!” Loki yelped and squealed, kicking his legs. “I’m sorry! Ow! I didn’t mean it! I’ll do as you say, just stop! Please, stop!” He made a mental note to himself to try and keep his tongue under control.

Thor gave him a good ten fast, hard swats to help remind Loki in the future that he didn't plan to tolerate his attitude. Thor was done as quickly as he had started. "Good to hear it, Loki. Now then, get dressed." Thor released his hold on Loki, allowing him to scramble off of his lap as he stood.

Loki quickly stood up and backed away, tears brimming in his eyes. He winced and rubbed at his bottom. The ten swats Thor gave him helped to reignite the burning sting Odin had put there the day before. Now he really didn’t look forward to being in that saddle. So this was how it was going to be, he thought. Every time he refused to do something, Thor would make sure his rear stayed heated. He had to get out of this. He wasn’t sure how, but he had to. He wasn’t going to stand by and put up with this sort of treatment. He would have to think of some way out, but for now, he’d play along just to appease Thor. If the dolt insisted on taking him out, he’d go with him. He didn’t know why Thor was so desperate for them to go riding, but he’d do it...even though he didn’t want to.

He watched Thor walk over and sit down in one of the chairs next to the door, making it perfectly clear that he wasn’t going to move until Loki was dressed. Sighing, Loki turned, gathered up some clothes, and walked into the bath part of his quarters.

A few minutes later Loki walked out, dressed in casual clothes and riding boots. He walked over and stood in front of Thor, annoyingly looking down at him, his arms crossed over his chest. His eyebrows rose and he bowed gracefully to Thor.

“I am at your service, your majesty,” he said sarcastically. He meant for the whole gesture to be smart, but it was quickly brought to an end when his bow apparently caused a twinge of pain in his rear. He uttered a strangled yelp and straightened up, rubbing and tugging at the seat of his trousers and cringing. “Ow…” His face flushed red.

Thor laughed, thinking that Loki’s attempt to be derisive served as its own punishment is this instance. He stood, opening Loki’s door. “Such theatrics, brother, to think I just wanted to enjoy a simple outing with you, and you can’t even seem to take that well. Hopefully getting a little food in your stomach will put you in a better mood.”

Loki sourly eyed Thor as he walked through the door and out into the hall. He admitted that he was looking forward to breakfast, but he doubted that it would put him in a better mood. Although, he did feel a little guilty for the way he’d acted. But…he really wasn’t in the mood for sibling bonding time. He couldn’t understand why Thor wanted to spend time with him so bad.

“Just so long as you don’t tell anyone about all of this,” he mumbled, giving his bottom one last rub. “I still don’t know how you expect me to ride a horse in this state.”

Thor chuckled as they moved down the hall. “I think you’ll manage. As for not telling anyone, I don’t plan to make it public knowledge, but I’m not going to lie for you, either. Don’t misbehave, and you won’t have to worry about anyone finding out.”

When Thor wasn’t looking, Loki silently mouthed something and rolled his eyes.

“So where exactly are we going that requires us to ride?” he asked after several minutes of silence between them.

Thor turned back to him a coy smile on his lips. “Well now, that’s for me to know and you to find out.” His grin broadened at the thought. “Don’t worry so; just trust that you will like it.”

They were approaching the grand hall, and the place was bustling with raucous laughter and even though it was morning, there were still plenty of people still drinking from the night before or passed out in various places. Thor commented, “There was much celebrating last night for Father’s return from the Odin’s sleep.”

“Sorry, I don't share the same feeling,” said Loki, forcing a smile. “My posterior wishes he were still in the Odinsleep.”

Thor couldn’t help but laugh at that remark. “Indeed! I imagine that it would!” The two moved to the table where the servants continued to bring fresh meats, cheeses, breads, among other arrays of foods to the patrons of the halls. Thor sat, snatching a leg of turkey from one of the plates and ripping into it. “Hmm...” he grunted, savoring the taste.

Some things never change, Loki noted as he watched Thor tear into his meat. Thor’s table manners still disgusted him, as did Volstagg's. Gingerly he sat down, trying his best not to show how uncomfortable it was. When he finally found a position that caused him the least amount of pain, he took a fork and began to fill his plate. As he did so, he was conscious of the people around him. He glanced at them between forking pieces of cheese and other foods onto his plate. Most of them tended to their own business, but he caught a few giving him withering glares that made him feel uncomfortable. Finally, he put down his fork and nervously turned to Thor.

“Is it safe for me to be here?” he asked. “I mean…” He glanced around him, “the people probably expect me to be in prison. I don't think some of them approve of me being here.”

Thor gave him a look as if he had two heads. “Nonsense! You are still a prince of Asgard, and Odin has decreed to the people you have been dealt with, what more is there to worry about? I would not let anyone hurt you, and neither would Father, so worry not.” Seeming satisfied that he’d assuaged Loki’s concerns, Thor went back to eating.

Loki hoped Thor was right as he glanced around again, taking a bite of food. And he suddenly hoped Odin hadn’t announced to the whole of Asgard how he had been dealt with. The people weren’t laughing or snickering at him, so he took that to be a good sign. He turned to Thor again, wrinkling his nose.

"You still eat like a pig," he commented.

Thor huffed shaking his head. “And there you go again with the name calling. I grow weary of your insults. For someone who doesn’t want the rest of Asgard to know he’s been spanked, you dance a razor’s edge to getting one at a moment’s notice. Do not think that being in public will stop me from disciplining you if you merit it.”

Loki’s face grew pale and then flushed red as he nervously glanced around them to make sure no one had heard. He forced another few forkfuls of food down, feeling that all too familiar icy chill creep down his spine again, which ended in a twinge of pain in his butt cheeks.

“Sorry,” he whispered, stabbing at some of the food on his plate with his fork. He turned to Thor. “Y-you wouldn’t really do it in public, would you?”

Thor took another bite of his food, chewing as he watched Loki stew over his own posed question. Thor lifted an eyebrow, finally responding flatly, “Well now, I gather that will depend on you now, won’t it? If you don’t want to find out, don’t do anything worth getting spanked for in public.”

Loki chewed at his bottom lip as he thought about Thor’s reply. He wasn’t planning on doing anything to find out, but he was still worried that he would slip up. He grimaced at the unpleasant thought of his tongue getting out of control and him finding himself upended over Thor’s knee in front of the Warriors Three and Sif, or worse…all of Asgard.

“I don’t wish to discuss it anymore,” he said softly. “This is not the place to have this type of conversation.”

Thor merely smiled and gave him a nod as they finished their meals in relative silence. Once both seemed sated, Thor rose, motioning to Loki. “Let us go; the day is wasting, and we are a couple hours’ ride from our destination.” As he said this, Thor grabbed a basket of fruits and cheeses from the table as well as a water skin. “We will be there for most the day, so we can eat lunch before we leave.”

Couple hours' ride? Loki felt like sinking lower in his seat. He groaned. His first reaction was to refuse to get up, but then he thought better of it and proceeded to lift himself to standing and followed Thor. If he was going to spend that long on a horse, he didn't want to push Thor into making the trip more uncomfortable for him than it was already going to be.

When they arrived at the stables, Loki watched as Thor saddled two horses. He was still curious as to where they were going and why it was so important that they get there that day. He stared hatefully at Thor, thinking he had to be cruel to suggest they ride horses when the bottom part of him was still as sensitive as a newly acquired bruise, doubly so since Thor had reignited it. Thor knew he was in pain, so why must he spend the day in a hard saddle? Loki turned to look out the stable door. He could always make a run for it. He took a few careful steps forward, looking over his shoulder to make sure Thor wasn't watching. Good, the oaf was still struggling with one of the saddles. Loki took a few more steps.

Thor had taken his time adjusting the saddle and packing away the goodies as he spoke to Loki, "When we get where we are going you are sure to lighten up." Thor smiled widely turning to face his brother only to see he was nowhere in sight. "Loki?" Thor called out, physically beginning to look for him only to realize he was gone.

Loki poked his head around the side of the doorway.

"Yes?" he replied, a bit annoyed.

Thor looked relieved to see him. "Come, get your horse, they are ready to go."

Loki walked up to the horse that had been assigned to him. He hesitated, looking over at Thor.

The horse shook its head, leaning down to nibble hay around the stalls as Thor handed Loki its reigns. “Follow me,” Thor said as he pulled his own horse from the stable mounting his horse once he’d exited the building.

Loki led his horse out of the stables. He hesitated a few more minutes. Finally, he sighed, stepped into the stirrup, and swung his leg over. All he felt was an onslaught of pain when he sat down in the hard seat and had to keep himself from crying out. He tried every way possible to get comfortable, eventually having to settle for leaning forward, practically hugging the horse's neck, to keep most of the weight off his cheeks. He knew he probably looked ridiculous, but at the moment he really didn't care. When he felt that he was ready, he nudged the horse forward to follow Thor.

Thor spurred his horse on into a trot heading to the east side of town that led out of the city’s walls. The guards eyed Loki suspiciously, but they said nothing seeing Thor ahead of him. Once they made it out of the bustle of people and into the open fields, Thor looked back casting a smile on Loki. “Look at that, Loki, no walls to trap you. Are you feeling any better yet?”

Thor was joking, right? Like being out of the city’s walls was going to take the soreness he was feeling away like magic? Irritated by the question, Loki rode up beside Thor, glaring at him. He straightened up a little, still taking care not to sit normally.

“Really, Thor? Am I complaining about being trapped? I wanted to stay in bed, remember?” He pointed at his backside. “Being out here on a horse is _not_ going to make _this_ feel better. I still don’t see why we couldn’t have just stayed in the library or walked through the garden if you wanted to get out of the palace.” He stared ahead, pouting. He silently admitted that it _was_ beautiful out, but, due to his current condition, he would have preferred walking. He was still convinced that Thor was trying to punish him further by making him ride.

Thor waved him off. “The pain in your backside will subside. You always think of the negative; hopefully, when you see where we’re going it will bring a smile to your face.” Thor, not waiting for a reply, set his horse to jet across the fields, heading to the mountains in an effort to get the two to their destination that much more quickly.


	5. Bringing Back Memories

At the accelerated rate, the two were able to make it to the mountain outcroppings within an hour. And with the rest of the journey consisting of terrain too treacherous for the horses, Thor gathered the pack of food and the water skin leaving the horses to graze. It had been centuries since the two had been to this particular mountain, but as children, they had explored the vastness of Asgard, and this particular mountain had held a cave that led out to an outcropping where a beautiful two story waterfall cascaded into a lush riverbed. It was a place the two used to go just to get away, and Thor hoped that Loki would not have forgotten it or what it had meant to them when they were much closer. It was one of the few places the two were able to leave behind the weight of court and other royal duties that fell with being princes of Asgard. Here, they were allowed to just be.

Loki stiffly walked to the edge of the outcropping. He hadn’t thought about this place in a long time. As he peered at the scenery before him, he noted that it still looked basically the same. Memories came flooding back to him—memories he hadn’t remembered in years. He stood there, enjoying the refreshing smell of the water and the surrounding vegetation and flowers.

Thor seemed pleased that Loki remembered and seemingly was pleased by the atmosphere. “It has been ages, but this place is still as alluring as it was all those years ago. Remember how we used to sword fight with our wooden blades and jump off the rocks into the waters below?” Thor appeared taken by the scenery as he reminisced about their past. His face dampened as he gave his brother a sad look. “What happened to us, Loki? We were always the best of friends. What changed?”

A genuine smile briefly appeared on Loki's lips, but it disappeared just as quickly as he remained solemn and quiet. He continued looking out over the river, refusing to look at Thor. A few tears escaped his eyes and he sighed.

"What changed?" he said, at last, bitterness in his tone. "I found out what I am. A monster no one wants. A member of a race that's an enemy of Asgard. A stolen relic. A war trophy. A slave. A prisoner. Someone who's despised by all. Someone who is not really your brother. Someone who will never be king. Need I go on?" He turned his head up to look at the trees. "Life was so much simpler when we used to come here. Back when I was ignorant of so many things. I'll admit that I sometimes wish it could go back to being like that."

As Loki spoke, Thor moved up beside him, sitting to his right and looking out at the river, and when Loki finished he responded softly, “We can go back to that. You make yourself a prisoner out of the choices you’ve made, not the fact that you are Jotun. You not being of my blood changes nothing in the manner in which I care for you, Loki. You’ve let yourself get so twisted up in the details that you’ve made a war where there is none to be fought.”

Loki turned around the other way, still refusing to look at Thor. "Can we go back?" He shook his head. "Things will never be the same. Life has changed. Our...family...is torn now. Odin hates me. Mother...is gone. I now know the truth. No, things can never go back to the way they were. And I still don't understand why you insist on caring about me after everything I've done...after finding out that I'm Jotun. I came close to killing you. That alone should make you distrust me. But you still say we are brothers. Why?"

Answering slowly, Thor stated, “It is true that trust between us has been broken from the actions you’ve taken, but not from the fact that you are Jotun. I hold a hope that trust can be restored in time, but I will not lie, it will take effort and a willingness to change on your part in order for us to move forward, and while you’re right, we can’t go back to where we were, this does not mean we can’t move past it.” Thor shook his head, giving Loki an eye roll. “Odin does not hate you, brother. I swear you wish it were so. Father is…difficult, but he’s also got quite a burden to bear, and it makes him hard to deal with. Mother…” Thor paused reflecting with sadness, “Mother would want you to try.”

Loki snorted, rolling his eyes. Finally, he moved, lying down on his stomach next to Thor, his head resting on his folded arms. There were so many things he wanted to say. Some of them he decided to keep to himself, fearing he’d wind up over Thor’s knee again.

“You’re so stubborn.” He sighed wearily, trying to choose his words carefully. “What makes you think I will ever change? You know I’m a monster. Can a monster ever truly change?”

Thor regarded Loki, a warmness in his eyes that reflected the fondness he felt for his little brother. “You truly think you are a monster, Loki? The fact that you find your actions to have been that wrong as to call yourself a monster speaks volumes towards the hope that you can change. I would truly be fearful if you had thought all of your actions were justifiable, but you prove to me now that that is not the case, and for that I am thankful.”

Loki played with some of the moss on the rock in front of him. “Dimwitted as ever,” he lightly whispered. “I didn’t imply that my actions were monstrous. You haven’t seen my true form. Underneath _this_ , I look like…like...like _them_. Sometimes I don’t even know what side I’m on anymore or that I’ll ever fit in anywhere.” He buried his face in his arms.

Thor pulled at a weed between his feet as he responded, “It doesn’t matter what you look like; you are still, and always will be, my little brother, Loki.” As he said this, he gave Loki’s shoulder a playful shove. “Come on, do you want to climb down to the river?”

Loki rolled his head to the side to look up at Thor, sighing. The man was impossible. There was far more he could easily say, but he decided to keep quiet. He was tired and didn’t feel like pushing himself. Frowning, he reached behind him to feel of his rear, which was still tender.

“Yeah, I guess so…”

“Good!” Thor exclaimed loudly, jumping to his feet in his enthusiasm before reaching down and swooping Loki up off the ground to place him on his feet in one fluid movement.

Eyes wide, it took Loki a few seconds to realize what had happened. He turned a frown to Thor.

“I hate it when you do that!” he snapped.

Thor smiled sheepishly. "I get a little excited. I apologize, Loki. I miss times like this."

Loki huffed, smoothing out his clothes. He paused, quickly looking at Thor. He had actually enjoyed the treatment, even though it cruelly reminded him of how small and weak he was compared to Thor. He had to agree with his brother...he, too, missed times like that.

Thor picked up on his brother’s mood, even if unsaid, sensing they were in a better place emotionally than they had been in a long while. His energy renewed, Thor briskly began to work his way down the mountainside to the ravine, stopping to look at Loki’s progress once he’d made it to the bottom. “Come on, slow poke!” Thor joked.

Loki scrunched his nose up at Thor’s jest as he made his way down the side, almost slipping once. He wanted to snap back but kept quiet...for the time being, anyway. When he made it to the bottom, he stopped and looked around him, taking in everything that felt so familiar in more ways than one. Before he realized what he was doing, a smile formed on his lips. He looked over at Thor and cleared his throat, nudging at a rock with the toe of his boot.

“When we were kids playing here...Do you remember that time I put a crayfish down your trousers?” He smirked. “You screamed like a little girl.”

Thor looked down at Loki’s foot, a smile of his own breaking across his face as he reached down to find a smooth stone like the one Loki had proffered. He found one in short order tossing it to skip across the river. It skipped twice and sank; out of the two of them, Loki was always much more skilled at this game.

Loki stood and watched, shaking his head at the sad attempt.

Thor instinctively looked down at Loki’s hands before giving a small laugh. “Oh, yes, you and your practical jokes. I remember how mad you became when I slapped mud in your hair to return the favor! You ranted and raved about it for the rest of the day!” Thinking back on the slight, Thor commented further, “And I did not scream like a girl…well maybe I did, but having something with pinching claws so close to such tender bits was more than a tad frightful.”

Loki grinned. “You thought I had one in my hands just now, didn’t you?” His grin faded at remembering the rest of that day. “Of course, I raved about it. I don’t like mud in my hair.” He reached down and picked up a stone and threw it. It skipped five times before sinking. He turned a smug smile to Thor.

Thor laughed at Loki’s indignation even after all this time. “Why did you think I did it to get you back? As for having one in your hands, this time, I wouldn’t put it past you to get me again. It wouldn’t be the first time I’ve missed your sleight of hand, and I doubt it’ll be the last.” He watched Loki’s rock skip more than twice the times his did and frowned. “Bah, I never was very good at this.”

Loki looked down and then back at Thor, his face showing that familiar hint of mischief. He reached and picked up a snake that was slithering past his boot. Carefully juggling it in his hands a few seconds, he walked up beside Thor and held the snake in front of his face.

Thor shot his face back in surprise, not having expected the surprise. “You’ll not put that down my pants!” He darted backward, a laugh bursting out of him as he backed over to the water’s edge to grab up a handful of mud, holding it out with a mischievous smile of his own.

Loki grinned and walked slowly toward Thor, keeping his hand and the squirming snake extended in front of him. When he got to Thor’s extended hand and the mud, he quickly threw the snake aside and lunged forward, giving Thor a quick push with both hands that sent him toppling over backward into the river. Loki smiled widely as he stood on the riverbank and admired his recent accomplishment.

Thor’s face registered surprise as Loki pushed him and his arms made a pinwheel motion trying to catch his footing unsuccessfully before he was submerged and flailing about. His hair flopped over his eyes as he sputtered to the top working to stand up and throw his hair out of his face. He gave Loki a dangerous glare as he lunged for him. “Oh ho! Now it’s your turn to take a swim, Loki!”

Loki started to backpedal to get out of Thor’s reach, but slipped on the wet mud under him and fell to the ground.

“No! Don’t!” he shouted as Thor grabbed onto both of his feet and began dragging him into the water. Loki kicked his feet to try and break Thor’s hold on him. When that failed, he began clawing at the ground to pull himself away.

Thor was laughing at Loki’s display, and of course, there was nothing to stop Thor from scooping Loki up and tossing him into the water while Loki floundered uselessly, splashing into the waters. Thor stood at the water’s edge, still laughing as Loki came gasping to the top. “Well, now I’m going to have to start a fire to dry our clothes. You’re going to have to help me gather some wood. Next time we come here, we’ll bring a change of clothes with us…just in case we decide to take a surprise swim again.”

Loki spit out a stream of water and scowled at Thor, looking quite ridiculous sitting in the middle of the river. He grabbed up a handful of water and threw it at Thor.

“This is all your fault!” he shouted. “I…Ow!” Loki suddenly jerked and yelped, throwing his hands under him, sending up a spray of water. He kicked and floundered around and finally regained his footing and stood up, stumbling forward. “Thor, something’s biting me!” He blindly felt of the intruder as he fell tummy down onto the river’s bank. “It feels like a crayfish. Thor, get it off!”

Seeing Loki flop around like a fish out of water had Thor doubled over laughing. It would seem that when Loki had been tossed in the water, his landing had stirred up the marine life causing one of the crayfish to shoot down the back of Loki’s pants. One little claw hung on for dear life on the rim of his trousers as the other pincher opened and closed uselessly against Loki’s back. Finally getting control of himself, Thor made his way over to Loki, pulling him out of the water by the bicep. He mused, “It would seem that talking on the subject has conjured your little prank to come visit itself upon you, Loki.” As he said this, Thor bent down to grab a stick from the ground, holding it over the grasping claw as it clamped down onto the stick and Thor removed the creature carefully before throwing it back into the water.

Loki looked up at Thor, his cheeks burning with embarrassment.

"You...didn't see that," he mumbled. He sat up, pulling strands of wet hair out of his face.

Thor let out another laugh. “Oh, I saw it! But, not to worry, Loki, your secret is safe with me.” Thor wandered over to the wood line and began gathering kindling. “If you want, Loki, you can work on getting the fire going while I collect us enough wood.”

Loki scooped up a handful of mud and threw it, hitting Thor in the back of the head.

“Do it yourself, oaf!” he snapped. “Thanks to you, I’m all wet and dirty now.” He finally got to his feet and began wringing out his hair.

Thor froze at the impact, dropping the kindling. He turned back to Loki. “And here I thought you didn’t want mud in your hair.” As Thor said this, he made his way purposefully towards Loki with all intentions of covering the man in mud.

“Nononono! Thor, NO! Don’t you dare!” Loki backed up, trying to keep his distance. Not looking at where he was going, his foot slipped and he fell back into the river. He splashed around until he finally got his head above the water.

By the time Loki had managed to get his head above water, Thor had scooped two large handfuls of mud cupped in his hands and flung the mess directly at Loki, the mud spattering him from the chest up as Thor chuckled. “Do you want another round, or are you finished?”

“Thor!” Loki shouted in frustration, hitting the water with his hands. “I’m not playing.” He brushed as much mud off him as he could.

Thor was washing the mud out of his own hair, but after hearing this he frowned, turning an angry glare on Loki. “So, then, you meant to throw this mud at me maliciously?”

Loki stopped washing his face and looked up, startled by the tone of Thor's voice.

“Uh…no,” he lied, shaking his head. He studied Thor's face closely, hoping he sounded convincing.

Thor was looking at him intently now trying to read his true intentions. He couldn’t prove it, but he was pretty sure Loki had intentionally tried to hurt him, and after the fun they had been having, this cut him. Solemnly he moved back over to his stack of kindling and began gathering them up again silently.

After seeing the expression on Thor’s face, a pang of guilt suddenly hit Loki. He hadn’t meant to lie to Thor. It just…came out. He also hadn’t meant to throw that mud at him. Okay, maybe he had. But it wasn't maliciously. He just lost his temper. It could have happened to anyone, he told himself. Loki looked around him at their childhood playground and felt even worse. Everything he had done suddenly felt very wrong, and he didn’t know why. The last thing he wanted to do was taint their sacred place, not to mention their outing. He had actually been having a good time with Thor until his mood became soured again. Quickly, he finished cleaning himself off and walked out of the river.

“Thor…” he called, running to get in front of his brother, trailing water the whole way. He stood there, chewing his lower lip and looking like he wanted to say something. Try as he might, he just couldn’t get the words out of his mouth. What if Thor became angry with him? What if he spanked him again? He swallowed and shifted from one foot to the other. When Thor’s gaze became too uncomfortable, Loki lowered his eyes down to stare at the bundle of sticks in his brother’s arms. He felt a knot begin forming in the pit of his stomach.

Thor looked at him curiously. “What is it, Loki?”

Loki wrung water out of his tunic. “I…” He swallowed again.

Whatever it was seemed to be hard for Loki to say, so Thor waited patiently for him to stumble through it without interrupting.

"I...lied..." His eyes slowly moved to look up at Thor. The rest caught in his throat and he couldn't say any more.

Thor’s brow lifted as he listened. “Lied about what, brother?”

"A-about...throwing the mud." He looked down again, every word he was saying feeling alien to him. "I did mean to...to hurt you with it..." He quickly looked up. "I...lost my temper..."

Thor’s jaw tightened before he took in a deep breath, nodding his head in acknowledgment. “I know. It is good to hear you admit it, though. The fact that you were honest with me means a lot, and for that, I will give you a reprieve from punishment. I will say though that if it happens again that I won’t be as forgiving. Are we clear?”

A relieved smile appeared on Loki’s lips. He nodded.

"H-how did you...know?"

Thor gently grabbed Loki by the nape of the neck, pulling him in so they were forehead to forehead as a smile spread across his face. “I know my own brother.”

Loki smiled, and then his smile dropped just as quickly. He pulled away from Thor.

"I wasn't going to say anything," he said. "I was afraid you would be angry with me, or that you would..." He cleared his throat, his cheeks flushing a hint of pink. "Well...you know..." He tried following up what he wanted to say with a hand gesture, but it, too, died. He cleared his throat again, putting his hands behind his back.

“Spank you?” Thor smirked. “I may have, but I think Father did enough of a number on you last night, although I did think about it for a moment knowing you had wished me harm. I know this is hard on you Loki, I’m trying to be understanding, but remember that there’s only so much even I’ll let slide. I hope you’ll know my limit before I have to demonstrate it.”

Loki grimaced at Thor saying the word. Leave it to his brother to not have any shame about speaking openly.

He finally nodded at Thor’s words. "I'll try." He shyly looked up at his brother. “You know. I have to admit that you _did_ have me worried.” He managed a small, weak smirk. “You _do_ look rather intimidating with that bunch of…sticks. I was afraid they would warm me in…more than one way.”

Thor chuckled, looking down at the wood. “To be honest, I’d not thought about these twigs in that manner, but I’ll have to remember that for the future.” As he finished speaking he began working his way back up the side of the mountain, picking up more kindling to make a fire with.

Loki stood, looking as if he'd been slapped in the face as Thor's words sank in. He closed his eyes and groaned. Once again his big mouth betrayed him. He turned and eyed his brother with disgust. It was shameful—absolutely shameful. Loki wasn't sure how much more he could take of this treatment. It had taken everything within him to confess his wrongdoings. He admitted that he was grateful that Thor had been lenient with him this time and hadn't spanked him again. But still...he'd never willingly confessed before. He wasn't sure what made him do it. Perhaps it was being in the place they were currently. Or maybe it had been the hurt he'd seen on Thor's face when he'd lied to him.

"Let's not make a habit of it," he whispered to himself. Turning, Loki slowly walked up the mountainside.


	6. Brother Bonding Time

Loki stopped beside Thor when he made it to the outcropping. Pushing the latest incident out of his mind, he went back to trying to make himself look presentable as he watched Thor position the wood. He sat down and pulled his boots off, pouring out the water that had been sloshing around inside them.

Thor began setting up the kindling in the crevice that they had always used when they came to this spot in the past. He went back to his horse, digging out some oil before coming back to work on getting a fire started.

After emptying his boots and setting them aside, Loki turned his back to Thor and sat on the edge of the outcropping. He remained silent and sullen as he looked out over the scenery below him. Occasionally he turned to see how Thor was progressing, but every time he did his eyes would go to the sticks and his thoughts went back to what Thor had said about using a switch on him. He shuddered, wrinkled his nose, and turned to look at the river again. Perhaps it had just been a jest. He hoped. And now he was suddenly reminded that his bottom was still sensitive. All the fun he’d been having down at the river had caused him to forget it for awhile. But after his talk with Thor, he was suddenly aware of a dull soreness that was still lingering. His soured and bitter mood started returning as he moved uncomfortably on the rock under him. Curse Odin, he thought. Then he remembered the swats Thor had given him that morning and he flashed his brother a dirty look.

Giving Thor a second glance to make sure he wasn’t watching, Loki leaned to the side and pulled his wet pants down enough to examine the damage to his backside. The majority of it had already healed, but there was still a faint pink hue to his cheeks. He was pleased. Hopefully by the time they left for home he would be able to sit normally in the saddle.

Thor, for his part, had been too busy getting the fire going to note the dirty looks Loki had been throwing him. Seeing the fire finally spark, Thor worked to bring it to life. It took another several minutes to get it going, but once it had, Thor stood up staring at the fire proudly. "Loki, get the blankets from our packs and keep the fire going, I'm going to go get some more wood to keep the fire burning long enough to dry our clothes out."

Loki quickly scrambled to pull his pants back in place, succeeding in twisting them and pulling them halfway up due to their soaked state, and looked up at Thor, offering no reply. Cautiously, he watched the thunder god leave, and then reached and pulled his boots on and got up...pausing. Go get the blankets? What did he look like?—a servant? It was a long way back to the horses and he wasn’t planning on walking that distance only to walk back again. He tugged at his pants, turning around to see where Thor had gone to before turning to stare at the fire.

Then he got an idea. He would teleport to the horses using his magic. He tried…but to no avail. Fear and worry surged through him and he tried again. Still nothing. Shock played across his face. He was still on the outcropping. His magic wasn’t working. Why wasn’t it working? His face scrunched up in a deathly scowl at remembering back to the night before when Odin had taken away his powers. Loki stood there, his breath quickening. Blast Odin, he thought, kicking at a rock and sending it over the edge. He would pay. All of them would. First they humiliate him and treat him like a child and then they take his powers—his very being—away!

Bristling with anger, Loki roughly sat down again in the spot he had previously been to stew over the current situation. Thor would hear about this when he returned. Loki reached and tugged at his pants in frustration and cursed when they refused to comply. He pulled his tunic down over the exposed part of his butt, sighed heavily, and laid down. His clothes were starting to itch and feel uncomfortable from being wet. Sighing again, he rolled over and stood up, walking over to stand before the fire to begin drying himself off.

Thor had been gone long enough for Loki to have burned through almost all the kindling, but what he did come back with would make enough for a roaring fire for the next couple hours. Their clothes would be able to dry by then, Thor knew, and the two could wrap up in blankets while the clothes were propped on the rocks. As Thor set the two large bundles of wood, that he’d carefully entwined with ivy to carry, down next to the fire he noticed that Loki was more or less still sitting in the same spot he’d left him. Puzzled he asked, “Loki, where are the blankets?”

The trickster jumped and turned around to face Thor. He had succeeded in drying out his pants enough to get them untwisted and pulled back up to their proper place. Although he still absently pulled his tunic down and tucked it into his trousers.

“On the backs of our horses, I imagine,” he flatly said.

Thor’s expression denoted confusion at first, but then his brow drew down. “We need the blankets to wrap up in while our clothes dry. I gathered the wood, and I expected you to contribute by getting us the blankets.”

“I was going to teleport to the horses and get them, but my magic refuses to work. Did you know Odin took away my powers?” Loki got to his feet and walked over to Thor. “He took my magic away. It’s bad enough he treated me like a child, but taking away my magic? That’s like taking away my soul. I feel like a part of me is missing."

Thor sighed. “When Father sent me to Midgard, I was also stripped of my strength. How do you think I felt? You will survive, Loki. The horses are not that far away, you can do a little walking. You could have walked it and back ten times over in the time that I’ve been gone gathering wood.”

“I’m not your servant,” Loki snapped, still flustered over his missing magic. It wasn't until after the words left his mouth that he realized what he had said. He quickly looked at Thor. "I mean...I..."

Thor was about sick of Loki’s snappish attitude. “Not my servant? I suppose that you believe I am yours then, Loki?” He snatched a wiry twig from the entwined stack before lunging forward to grab Loki, spinning him around and giving him five swift switches with the branch before continuing. “Now you are going to go down and get those blankets, or so help me, brother, I’m going to make you very sorry. Before you leave, you will undress and leave your wet clothes here as I know you well enough, and I don’t plan on trying to chase you across Asgard if you get it in your head to try and run. Now go!” Thor gave Loki one more good swat to propel him forward as he released his bicep.

Loki’s mind was still trying to grasp what had happened long after Thor had let him go. All he could think about was the lines of stinging, burning pain that reverberated across his butt. He was aware that he had uttered an undignified squeal at feeling the last sharp sting take a searing bite out of his rear as he bolted forward. He ran a short distance, stopped, and looked wild-eyed at Thor, still momentarily confused. What had happened?

“Ow! Ow, ow, ow, owwwww!” He cringed and hissed, vigorously rubbing both of his cheeks. His eyes looked Thor up and down before resting on the switch still in his hand. His mouth fell open, not believing Thor had actually switched him. “Thor, what is _wrong_ with you?!” Finally, Thor’s command for him to remove all of his clothes hit him and his eyes widened even more. “Y-you can’t be serious! I’m _not_ going to take all of my clothes off! Have you gone mad?” Loki watched as Thor gripped the switch tighter and took a step forward. He swallowed and held his hands up. “N-no, please!” He quickly worked to remove his tunic, dropping it on the ground between him and Thor. He started to remove his pants but stopped, slowly looking up at Thor. “W-will just removing my tunic be enough?”

Thor shook his head no. “If you hadn’t shown yourself to run at first provocation, I wouldn’t feel the need for you to remove them at all, but we both know from last night that’s not the case. Besides, you need to hang your clothes to dry and so do I. If you had gotten the blankets when I went to gather wood, this wouldn’t be an issue.”

Loki let out a small whimper as he shakily removed his boots and took down his trousers, tossing them on top of his tunic. Not hesitating any longer he ran in the direction of the horses.

When he returned a few minutes later, he was already wrapped in one of the blankets. Not saying a word, he walked up to Thor and handed him the other one. He struggled to hide his red, tear-stained face in his blanket so Thor couldn’t see he’d been crying. His watery eyes nervously scanned the area for the switch.

Loki hadn’t seen it, but as soon as he’d left, Thor had cast the twig into the fire, shaking his head that it had to come to this to get Loki to act respectfully. In the time that Loki was gone, Thor had also undressed, laying both his and Loki’s sets of clothes around the fire to dry. If Loki had not been trying to hide his face, Thor may not have seen the redness of Loki’s eyes, but sensing Loki was hiding something made him look harder. Thor made no comment, though, not wishing to embarrass Loki further as he took his blanket. “Thank you. Come warm yourself by the fire; our clothes should dry in no time.” As Thor said this, he sat himself, staring into the fire and becoming lost in thought.

It took him a few minutes, but Loki finally moved, cautiously sinking down on his knees, choosing instead to lie down on the ground with his head next to Thor. He sniffled and snuggled up in the blanket, pulling part of it up to continue hiding his face. He just wanted to sink into it and disappear. He was still wondering how a good afternoon had turned into a bad one. He moved his left arm inside the blanket and felt of the long, thin welts on his rear and winced, uttering a hiss through his clenched teeth. One of them had marked the underside of his rear. He bit back a yelp when he touched it, and pulled his knees closer to his body, curling into a fetal position.

Seeing Loki lie down next to him made him look so vulnerable, so Thor reached out protectively to lay a gentle hand down on his shoulder and gave a small squeeze. He didn’t say anything, though, continuing to watch the fire as the two sat in silence.

“I can’t believe you hit me with a stick,” said Loki, breaking the long silence. Still wrapped in his blanket, he rolled over on his stomach, rubbing harder at the painful welts. “Odin’s beard, it smarts! Whatever happened to using your hand? I was just getting to the point where I can sit down normally.” He rolled his head over to stare at the fire, sighing.

Thor shrugged. “But you were the one to give me the idea, Loki. It seemed to have gotten through to you rather well by the way you’re acting now.” Thor gave his brother a small smile as he tussled his hair.

Loki batted Thor’s hand away and scowled up at him, even though he secretly enjoyed the attention. “I did not mean to give you the idea. Besides, I thought you were only jesting. I didn’t think you would actually go through with doing it.” He wrapped the blanket tighter around him. “Is this why you brought me out here? So you can train me to be a good little pet?”

Thor shook his head. “Honestly, Loki, do you actually believe that was the reason I would bring you out here? I don’t play in that kind of field. You should know me better than that.” Thor frowned now at the thought of Loki’s words.

At seeing Thor's frown, Loki visibly cowered into his blanket.

"No," he said softly. He really didn't know why he had said that last part. He was suddenly afraid it would come back to haunt him in a painful way. "I'm sorry, Thor," he added quickly, chancing a look up to see if Thor's expression had changed.

Thor's face softened as a small smile made its way to his lips. "It's okay, Loki. I know you were upset with me, but I hope you know that I've never had an ulterior motive for my actions. I just want for you to be happy."

"Thor..." Loki said softly, hesitating like he was slightly embarrassed, "Would you...uh...would you...rub my back the way you used to do when I was little? You know, whenever I woke up scared during the night and crawled into your bed?"

Thor smiled widely. "Sure, Loki." As he said this, he leaned in to rub circles between Loki's shoulder blades like he had so long ago when Loki would wake up with night terrors. 

Loki relaxed and his eyes began to droop. He hadn’t felt that simple comfort in a long, long time.

“That’s what I hate about you,” Loki said, continuing their conversation. “You’re always so predictable—always so perfect—no tricks, no ill intentions. While everything I do always turns out wrong. It’s never enough to satisfy people.” His voice was beginning to sound watery. “It’s not fair that you’re always getting praised for being the perfect son and I’m the one who always gets punished, even when I try to do the right thing. Nothing I've done has ever pleased Father.”

Thor gripped Loki's shoulder in consolation. "Odin has always been difficult to understand, and I think he tries to do best by us. I cannot say his true intentions with certainty, but I do know he loves you...even if he's not very good at showing it."

Easy for him to say, Loki thought bitterly. Thor was just oblivious to everything as he always was. If their lives had been switched around, he would think differently and see things differently.

“You can say that again," Loki mumbled. "Why was he upset at me when I went to Midgard?” he asked. “You brought me back here in cuffs and that...horrid muzzle, of which I still haven’t forgiven you for. Then Odin threw me in that cell.”

Thor gave Loki a stare that read disbelief. "The mouthpiece was Stark's idea to keep you from causing more trouble with your magic. Do I really need to go into the problems you caused on Midgard? I'm not even going to justify that comment with a further reply; you should know full well. I do believe we discussed it in length while you were over my knee... We don't need to have that discussion again, do we?"

Loki’s breath caught in his throat and his face went a little paler as he turned his head to look up at Thor. His hand inched back to rub at his rear. He found himself quickly glancing around for that dreaded switch before turning his eyes back to Thor.

“N-no.” He swallowed. “But you can’t blame me for what happened on Midgard. The Chitauri brainwashed me and made me do things I didn’t want to do. I never meant to harm anyone. I just wanted to rule it. That’s all I wanted to do,” he said with a pout. “I only attacked you and your Avengers because I was trying to warn you. I was trying to get away from the Chitauri. See? I was trying to do good to please Odin, but I still got punished.”

Thor took in a deep breath, looking back towards the fire. He didn't like the thought of the Chitauri having hurt his brother, but he also knew that not all Loki's actions could have been directed by the so called brainwashing. "I don't know what happened to you under their influence, Loki, but I do know that you had most of the control of the choices you physically made on Midgard. You could have found a way to fight with us, but you thought it was your right instead to rule them...and here we are now. You were punished for good reason, and you telling me that you think it was not your fault in any regard has me wondering if you've been punished enough." Thor was looking back at Loki now, studying him carefully for his reaction.

Loki moved uncomfortably under the blanket as he studied Thor’s face. Alarm bells sounded loudly in his head. Instead of saying anything more, he lay back down and remained quiet, although he could still feel Thor watching him.

Thor took Loki’s silence as acquiescence that he understood the severity of his words and looked back to the fire as he continued once more to rub his back. The two sat this way for some time just enjoying each other’s company and the fire before Thor turned to Loki. “Are you getting hungry?”

Loki had been dozing when Thor asked the question. He yawned, stretched, and moved to a sitting position and nodded, forcing a small smile.

Thor patted his shoulder, standing. “Our clothes should be dry enough by now.” Thor moved to the clothes, grabbing at them to test their dryness. He gave a nod and grabbed both sets, bringing Loki’s to him before dressing himself. “The fire is only coals now, so we can put it out and head back down to the horses and eat before we head home.”

Loki looked down at his clothes and then back up at Thor. As much as he hated admitting it, he was sad to hear that they were going to head for home.

“Do we have to go home this soon? I thought we were going to eat our lunch here.”

Thor smiled. “That sounds just fine. I’ll head down to the horses and grab the food pack if you want to stay here, or you can walk with me. It’s up to you.”

“I-I’ll stay here, if you don’t mind,” Loki answered. He watched Thor leave, then he pulled his blanket back enough to look at his rear. Frowning, Loki ran his fingers over the now faint red lines that stood out like a brand across his cheeks. It might as well have been a brand, the way it had felt, he thought. He winced when he poked at a still tender area.

“Curse him,” he grumbled as he stood up and angrily tossed the blanket to the side and began dressing. He didn’t know what he had done to deserve that switching. Okay, maybe telling Thor he wasn't his servant had been a bit too much, but he didn't have to take a switch to him. He was going to have to be more careful as long as everyone was on a ‘spank Loki’ craze. Everyone seemed hard bent on him never sitting down again. He just hoped Thor wouldn’t decide to take a switch home with them. Loki shuddered when he remembered the pain it caused. And here he thought Odin’s palm had been bad. Thor had just used it a few times with his pants still in place, too. Loki couldn’t imagine what it would feel like without pants and for longer.

Thor had departed, once fully dressed, making his way down to the horses that lifted their heads simultaneously upon hearing his approach. The sun was starting to fade now, and Thor knew that once they’d eaten that they really should be on their way back. There was no harm in staying here a little longer, though. He was pleased that, other than a few instances, Loki had seemed to take the outing as a positive experience. This was a sign that Thor’s idea to bring him here was in fact a good one. He had stayed up late the night before trying to think of a way to make Loki happy after the past week and a half of him being confined, spanked by him, and spanked by the All-Father.

It had to be difficult to deal with, Thor knew, but he also knew that Loki was out of control and that Odin had rested guardianship in his hands to try and right what was on obvious rebellious streak in the man. It wouldn’t have been such a problem except that the lengths Loki went to exceeded that of a bruised ego and if not put in check would do others as well as himself harm. Thor sighed as he began the trek back up the mountain as he thought about the real responsibility Odin had given him and what that meant for him and Loki. His biggest fear was that he would fail his brother.

Loki stewed on the events that had passed as he waited for Thor’s return. He still couldn’t believe he had been brought so low. He hated feeling restrained and controlled. He was an adult, after all. He could make his own choices.

"I won't stand for this any longer," he suddenly said aloud.

Thor had been walking back into the cave as Loki stated this and he responded before the trickster realized he was back, “Stand for what?”

Loki quickly spun around, not hearing Thor approach until he spoke. He swallowed, his mind working hard to come up with something to reply with.

“My…trousers! They aren’t completely dry.” He tugged at the seat of his pants to make his lie more convincing. “They’re giving me a most uncomfortable wedgie.”

Thor looked puzzled before he laughed, replying, “I checked your pants, they were slightly damp but dry enough…perhaps you should wear looser pants.”

Loki lightly blushed at the remark. He was about to say something snappish but thought better of it.

“I might have to start doing that if you keep on spanking me.” Loki forced a smile. He was trying his best to keep his anger in check.

Thor nodded in agreement. It wasn’t lost on Thor that Loki was being sarcastic, so he decided to reply in kind, “That might make it easier for me, but not likely for you.”

Loki glared dangerously at his brother, not bothering to say any more on the subject. Instead, he gave a petulant eye roll. He had to get away from this. He wasn’t sure how he was going to go about it, but he had to get away...and soon.

Thor smirked at Loki’s obvious exasperation as he tossed him an apple. “Here. Let’s sit down and break bread. It’s getting late, and we need to start heading back before the sun sets.”

Loki caught the apple and walked over and sat down next to Thor.

“For the most part, I’ve enjoyed today. Could we come here again? Maybe we could camp overnight."

Thor liked the idea. “I think that would be ideal. Maybe in a fortnight. I was thinking of us traveling to Midgard in a day or two to see Jane. You will behave, won’t you?”

Loki perked at the mentioned outing, his mind beginning to work. His first instinct was to smirk, but he held it in.

"Jane? The woman who came here, right?"

Thor smiled, thinking fondly of her. “I had made promises to see her soon, but with recent developments…I had to postpone the visit.”

Loki raised an eyebrow. "How long are you planning to stay?"

Thor shrugged. "I hadn't really planned on anything specific. Let's just see how it goes."

A smirk pulled at the corners of Loki's mouth as his mind began to put a plan of escape together. As with every realm, there were hidden portals on Midgard that connected to the other realms. And he knew where some of them were. If he could somehow get away from his bumbling brother long enough he could make his way to one of them and disappear. True, that he didn't have his magic anymore, but he would work on getting that back in time. One step at a time, he thought. First he needed to get away from Thor's hold so he could feel independent again. If he could get to one of those portals, he could slip into another realm and Thor would never be able to find him. Yes, this outing would be far more helpful than the camping trip he suggested.

"Sounds good," Loki finally said. "I like Jane. And as long as we don't stop by and see your Avengers, the trip should be fun. When do we leave?"

Thor seemed quite pleased that Loki was as excited as he was to go see Jane. "Splendid! We will head out once I finish tending to some business here in Asgard."

Looking at the sky, Thor added, "Let's finish up here and head back." His smile widened. "We have some packing to do."


	7. Visiting Jane

Loki was more excited over the outing to Midgard than Thor knew. His spirits lifted tremendously at the thought that he would soon be free of Thor’s leash. As a result, the trickster beamed with good humor as he steadily rode beside Thor on their way back to the palace. He couldn’t believe his luck. Of course, he would have to dig through his maps to find one of Midgard that told him whereabouts the portals were located, but it shouldn’t be hard. He knew he had one tucked away somewhere. Since they weren’t leaving for a few days, it would give him just enough time to plan out his escape route. He already had some of the portals of each realm memorized, but not all of them. He wasn't exactly sure where Jane was living now, so he wanted to make sure he knew the location of each portal so he could find the closest one once they arrived on Midgard.

Thor had promised Sif and the Warriors Three that he would spend some time with them, so other than checking on Loki periodically to have meals with him and discuss their soon-to-be plans, Thor had, for the most part, left him to his own devices.

It had taken almost a week for Thor to finish the tasks he had planned to tackle in Asgard before they were ready to depart. Odin was wary of Thor taking Loki back to Midgard, but Thor had expressed that without his magic, what harm could he really do? So it was that the two headed to the rainbow bridge set to join Jane on Midgard.

Heimdall had returned to his post, his injuries mostly healed by the healing chambers, but he wore a scowl as the two princes approached, staring daggers at Loki before addressing Thor, “Is it not unwise to take ‘him’ back to Midgard? Surely you put the people there in peril to do so.”

Thor grimaced. “Fear not, Heimdall, Odin has taken his magic, and I will be there to keep an eye on him.”

Heimdall addressed Thor once more, “As you wish, Thor, but know that I, too, will be watching,” as he said this, he pointedly stared at Loki.

For a moment, Loki was afraid Thor would blab to Heimdall that he also held the threat of spanking over his head to keep him in check, but then he remembered that Heimdall probably already knew. His cheeks flushed at that thought, and he refused to look at Heimdall. Actually, he forgot all about the sentry and briefly worried that his plans wouldn't work. He’d spent all week painstakingly going over maps and making notes as to what would be the quickest way to each portal when Thor wasn’t around. He’d memorized most of what he needed to know, but he had quickly slipped a piece of parchment, having directions jotted on it, into one of the pockets of his coat before they left, just to ensure he remembered. If he got a chance to work quickly, maybe he could slip into one of the other realms and hide before Heimdall could see he was missing.

Finally, Loki turned an innocent smile to Heimdall.

Heimdall scrutinized Loki with a hard look but said nothing as he activated the rainbow bridge and watched on as the two departed.

As the two landed, Thor looked about from side to side trying to get his bearings before grabbing a hold of Loki, whipping his hammer into a circle to gather momentum and chucking it and, therefore, them towards Jane’s abode.

“Blast it, Thor! Give me a warning before you do that!” Loki griped when Thor landed and set him back on his feet. “I’m tired of having the wind knocked out of me. I think I left half my stomach back there."

Thor laughed loudly at Loki’s distress, finding his reaction to be quite comical. “Oh come now, Loki; it wasn’t all that bad.” Thor strode forward with purpose as he spoke heading to a small townhouse that they had landed in front of. There was a single porch light on with a screened in balcony that had a wooden bench swing and several hanging houseplants. Thor opened the screen door for Loki. “After you, brother.”

Loki walked forward and stopped in front of the front door, giving Thor cautious glances and curiously glancing at the new surroundings at the same time. He staggered a bit, still trying to regain his equilibrium he'd lost during the trip there.

Thor followed, giving the front door a solid knock. Footsteps could be heard drawing nearer and a garbled voice rang out, “Coming!” There was a sound of the latch on the other side sliding out of place as the door finally opened.

The first thing Jane saw was Thor’s smiling face, and hers brightened as she rushed forward into his arms. “You’re finally here!” she exclaimed excitedly as she squeezed him tightly. It wasn’t until Thor set her down that she belatedly realized Loki was standing to the side of her. She gasped as the realization dawned on her and her eyes flashed back to Thor and back to Loki again. She stated nervously now, “Thor? Why is your brother, Loki, here?”

Thor laughed. “Not to worry, Jane, he will not hurt you, I promise.”

Loki gave Jane a playful wink and a smile.

Jane gave a half-smile, still a bit unnerved by the revelation. She wasn’t sure how she felt about Loki staying with them, but if Thor vouched for him, she would acquiesce. She cleared her throat. “Well, come on in, guys. I…wasn’t expecting more than just you, Thor, so you two can have a seat on the couch, and I’ll bring you some refreshments before getting the guest bedroom set up for your brother.” She led them inside as she spoke, splaying her arms out to the aforementioned couch before disappearing into the kitchen.

Thor looked about the space noting the small differences since his last visit. The place was cluttered with books, star charts, and various scientific equipment. Thor breathed in heavily as if smelling home cooking in the air, a big, goofy grin was plastered on his face. “Just wait, Loki, I think she will bring us the wondrous Coke drink. It is like nothing we have in Asgard!”

Loki rolled his eyes as he plopped himself down on the couch. “Yeah, I know.” He peered around him at the small living room. It was snug and homey, he noted, if a bit cluttered with all of Jane's equipment. He looked up at the framed pictures on the walls, which showed Jane posing with various people that Loki didn’t recognize, except for Erik Selvig. He moved uncomfortably.

Jane was quick with the drinks, and as Thor had predicted, she knew his fondness of Coke and brought one out for each of them handing it to them before stating, “I’m going to put some fresh sheets on the guest bed, and I’ll be right back.”

Thor sipped on his Coke as he watched her go, still smiling like an idiot, and when she disappeared down the hall, he lolled his head towards Loki, still beaming. “Oh, what fun we are going to have, Loki! Jane knows many places to go on Midgard that you will surely appreciate.”

Loki took a sip of his Coke, wrinkled his nose, and set it down. His stomach was still roiling from their flight over, so he didn’t feel up to the syrupy drink.

“Where exactly are we?” he asked, turning to Thor. “Is this a part of New York?”

Thor chuckled. “I think they call this place Texas; it is quite vast. There is a place called Six Flags that Jane has spoken of taking me to, and from what she has said, I think you might like it, too.” Thor finished his Coke and was eyeing Loki’s, now, pathetically as he obviously wanted it too, but he didn’t ask for it even though Loki wasn’t drinking it.

Loki nodded. He felt embarrassed that he had gotten their location wrong since he knew more about Midgard culture than Thor. But at least he now knew for certain where they were. His mind worked over the portal locations. There was one located in Texas, but how far away it was would depend on what city they were in. He wasn’t sure how to find that out except to ask, but asking a lot of questions might seem suspicious. There must be some other way… Loki’s eyes scanned the room and landed on a small stack of envelopes on the coffee table. He raised an eyebrow.

Loki cleared his throat. “Um, do you want this?” He picked up his Coke and offered it to Thor.

Greedily taking the drink without hesitation, Thor gave a small noise of pleasure, gulping the drink first before giving a hardy, “Thank you, Loki!” That was a kind gesture, and Thor was proud of Loki for making it as just a few weeks ago, Loki would have likely drunk the drink just to spite him. Unbeknownst to Thor was that it served as a perfect distraction to give Loki a chance to wander about the room relatively unobserved from his glowing brother.

“You’re welcome,” Loki replied, watching Thor scarf the drink down. “I personally prefer milkshakes.” While wandering around the room, Loki chanced a glance at the envelope stack as he leisurely walked by the coffee table, smiling when he caught sight of Jane’s address. Perfect, he thought. There was a portal not far from where they were. He stopped in front of one of Jane’s gadgets and fiddled with it.

“Hey! No touchie, you!” Jane’s voice came from the hallway, seeing Loki messing with her equipment as she hurried into the living room. She moved over to where Loki was, looking him over, up and down before grabbing the gadget from his hand. “This is calibrated just so; now I’m going to have to recalibrate it.” The woman visibly pouted as she moved away from Loki, fiddling with the gadget to reset it.

Thor just looked over curiously. “What have you found, Loki?”

Jane sighed. “It’s a part of my telescope. I had to take it apart and clean it last night. I noticed it was rather dirty when looking up at the night sky for your rainbow bridge.” She smiled at Thor with affection, and he shared her look. Deciding the gadget could be reset later, she placed it back on the shelf, moving over to sit next to Thor.

“Sorry,” Loki softly mumbled. Instead of joining Thor and Jane, he shuffled over to the bookshelf.

The lovers seemed to pay him no mind as they caught up with what each other had been up to seemingly just happy to be in each other’s presence after so long apart. Jane saw Loki pick a book and begin reading it standing up. Feeling rude she said, “Loki, if you want I can show you to the guest room, so you can read in peace until dinner.” She looked at Thor, adding, “I was thinking maybe a pizza?”

Loki turned and looked at her, then to Thor, and back to Jane. “Sure,” he finally said. He kept his eyes on Jane as he followed her down the hall, amusement in his facial features.

Jane still watched Loki through her peripheral, trying her best not to stare at him as he followed her. She turned on the light to the spare bedroom at the end of the hall. The room was a bit girly but had enough accommodations to be comfortable. The room had its own bathroom, a full-sized bed, a recliner, nightstand, dresser, and a closet that seemed to be piled up with boxes hurriedly shoved into the corner to clean up the area and make the room cozier. Slapping her hands together, she bobbed in place. “Uh, well, this is it.” She splayed her hands in a gesture of encompassing the room, obviously still a bit uncomfortable being in such close proximity to the man without having Thor there as well. “Did…did you have any questions?”

Loki let the small knapsack that had been hanging over his shoulder slide down his arm, onto the bed. He put the book beside it, not taking his eyes off everything as he continued sizing up the room. He wasn’t fond of the pastel purple walls and he wrinkled his nose at the white lacy curtains, but he wasn’t going to say anything, knowing that Thor was just down the hall. The last thing he wanted was for his brother to come tearing into the room, throwing him across his knee, taking his pants down, and warming his rear right in front of Jane because of him being ‘rude’.

Finally, Loki’s eyes settled on Jane. He looked the woman up and down, still not entirely sure how to act around her, with her being a mortal and all.

“Yes,” he said with a playful smirk, swinging one foot in front of the other, taking a step toward her. “Why didn’t you hug me like you did Thor when we first got here? I’m hurt.” He put on a fake sad face.

Jane grew rigid as her mouth hung agape at the sudden awkward request. Jane wasn’t overly aware of Asgardian customs and wondered belatedly if she’d somehow been offensive, with Loki technically being Thor’s family, or if Loki was hitting on her, or just messing with her. Not knowing how to react, she answered uneasily, “Um…I…I’m going to go back to the living room now… I’ll be ordering pizza in a couple hours, so I’ll let you know when it gets here, okay?” As she said this, she slowly backed away and grabbed the door. She shut Loki inside as she hurried back to Thor to escape the discomfort.

Loki turned toward the bed, smiling in satisfaction. Mortals were so amusing. He grabbed his sack, pulled out some lounge clothes he’d brought with him, and began changing. When he finished, he rolled onto the bed to read. He glanced toward the door and rolled his eyes when he heard Thor's laughter. He turned a page in his book and then set it to the side. He reached for his coat and took out the little piece of parchment and unfolded it. Everything was slowly falling into place. All he needed now was for Thor and Jane to leave the house so he could be alone to sneak off. And somehow convince Thor to leave him there alone. He wasn't sure how that was going to happen. He'd just have to wait for the perfect moment.

Loki found that moment three days into their visit when on one of their various outings that Jane took them to, they happened to pass by a movie theater where Jane had expressed wanting to see a comedy romance, but thought better of it because it was more of a couple’s movie, and she hadn’t wanted Loki to feel like a third wheel.

One evening, Loki caught Thor alone in the living room. He casually approached and sat down on the couch next to him. He nudged his arm.

"Thor, why don't you take Jane to see that movie she wanted to see tonight? It'd be the perfect outing for you two. I can stay here. I really don't mind. Jane has a lot of interesting books so I'll spend my time reading."

Thor smiled, leaning back in his chair to look at Loki fully. “Are you sure? I don’t want you to be bored while we’re out having a good time, Loki.”

"I won't be bored," Loki replied. He put a hand on his stomach and made a face as he lied. "I've been feeling a bit ill, anyway. I'd like to just stay here for awhile. You two go ahead."

Thor looked concerned. “Ill? Is it the Midgardian foods?”

Jane came into the room, drying her hair with a towel. “What’s up? Did I hear Thor say you weren’t feeling well, Loki?” Jane had loosened up in the time that the three had been hanging out as Loki was on his best behavior for obvious reasons.

"Er...maybe." Loki turned to look at Jane. "It's nothing." Loki leaned back against the arm of the couch and uttered a fake cough. "You two go on. I'll stay here and rest."

“Go where?” Jane seemed confused.

Thor answered, “Loki wants you to see that movie you were so excited about. He wants us to go have a good time.” Thor beamed at Loki appreciatively.

Jane cooed, “Aw! That is SO sweet, Loki!” Jane gave Loki an excited smile as she glanced back at Thor, wiggling her eyebrows. “Well, what do you say there, Thor? Feeling up for a movie?”

Thor laughed at the funny faces she was making, pulling her in to give her an affectionate hug. “That sounds superb.” He looked back to Loki as he kissed Jane on the forehead, cuddling with her in his lap now. “Thank you, brother.”

Loki made an uncomfortable face at Thor and Jane's cuddling, rolling his eyes once.

"Yeah, you're welcome," he said, getting up and making his way down the hallway toward his room. He faked another cough or two along the way, trying to make it sound as horrible and as convincing as possible.

Jane sat up, looking down the hallway. “Poor thing, before we go, I’m going to give him a good dose of Nyquil to help him rest.”

Thor rose and stretched. “That is very kind of you, Jane, I’m sure Loki will be pleased.”

Jane made her way to her personal bathroom, rummaging for the medicine and pulling it out and bringing it to Loki’s room. She knocked on the door, holding the portioned out medicine for Loki to take when he answered the door. “Here you go, Loki, drink up, it’s going to make you feel much better.”

Loki slowly opened the door, a questioning look on his face. "What?" He looked down at the cup of liquid in Jane's hand. "What's that?"

Jane smiled. “What, you don’t trust me? Just take it, silly. It won’t hurt you; it’s going to make you feel good.”

Loki eyed Jane. He had to struggle to keep a straight face because his lips wanted to curl into a smile over the thought that his fake sickness trick had worked so well. "N-no, that's okay. I'm sure I'll be fine tomorrow." He was about to close the door, but Jane put her hand up to stop it. He now turned a worried look to her, mainly out of fear that he was going to be found out.

Jane gave him a semi-pleading look. "Ah, come on, Loki, I already have it poured, and I can't put it back in the bottle. It's just going to go to waste otherwise."

Loki was beginning to see Jane’s persistence as an annoyance. He just wanted them to leave for the movie.

“Fine,” he said with a sigh, taking it from her hand. “I’ll drink it later.”

Thor had been moving down the hall, hearing the commotion he asked, “What’s the matter?”

Fear washed over Loki’s face when he saw Thor stop beside Jane. Quickly, he drank the liquid down in one gulp and handed the cup back to Jane, scowling at his brother.

Thor had no idea what was going on and took pause from the negative glare that Loki afforded him. He blinked, looking between both Jane and Loki, his brow crinkling. “Is everything okay?”

Jane hadn’t noticed the scowl as her eyes had moved to the empty medicine cup as she shrugged, looking at Loki and then Thor. “Uh, no, I was just giving Loki some medicine. He seemed reluctant to take it, but I was just assuring him that it wouldn’t hurt him.”

“Okay, I drank it.” Loki continued to look from Thor to Jane. “Hope you two have fun.” He closed the door.

“What was that about? He’s not mad at me for offering him medicine, is he?” Jane asked curiously.

Thor shrugged. “He did say he was feeling under the weather. I would not worry; he will be fine. He just tends to get grumpy. He did wish us fun, so I don’t think he’s mad at you.”

Jane seemed pleased enough with Thor’s answer, and the two went about getting ready to go, and within twenty minutes, Thor and Jane were off.

Loki didn’t know what was wrong with him as he sat on his bed and listened and waited until Thor and Jane left. He suddenly felt drowsy. Shaking his head to keep himself awake, he got up and inched his way down the hall and into the living room, checking to make sure Thor and Jane were really gone. Seeing that they were, he turned and hurried back to his room. He changed into his leather Asgardian clothes and armor and threw the rest of his clothes and the book Frigga had given him in his knapsack and threw it over his shoulder. He yawned, feeling really sleepy. Strange, he thought. He turned to leave the bedroom and stumbled against the doorframe. This wasn’t good, he thought. What _was_ wrong with him? His thoughts drifted to the medicine Jane had given him and he went pale. The medicine she had given him for his nonexistent sickness. How could he have been so stupid? How was he going to carry out his plan now? The portal was located on the other side of town. He would have to travel there on foot since he didn’t have his magic. There was no way he would be able to make it that far in his current condition.

He pushed himself away from the doorframe and stumbled his way to the front door. He had to get out before he fell asleep. He hesitated, his hand on the doorknob. Was he really doing the right thing? Surprisingly, he had had a lot of fun the past several days, and Jane actually had grown to like him and was nice to him. For the first time in a long time, he actually felt loved and wanted. If he stepped out the door now, he would be leaving all of that behind. He looked behind him at the rest of the house as he struggled to keep his eyes open. Not to mention, if Thor ever caught up with him he’d pay dearly. He wasn’t planning on Thor catching up to him, though. That’s why he was doing this, after all. Thoughts of Thor and Odin spanking him as well as keeping him a prisoner came flooding back to him and he gripped the knob tightly. He had to keep his thoughts on his mission: getting his freedom back. He was an adult. He was free to make his own choices and live his own life. He didn’t have to put up with the humiliation everyone insisted on making him go through.

Making up his mind, Loki opened the door and walked out. Quickly he ran across the street and off in the direction of the portal, staggering like a drunken man the whole way.


	8. Heated Consequences

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _~ Jane Foster: Obliviously drugging Norse gods since 2016 ~_

The medicine was working its way through Loki’s system, and the fact that he’d never taken Midgardian medicines (which did not have the non-contaminating healing auras of the mystic healing chambers instead working on mere biology based medicine which was rather primitive with negative side effects comparatively to Asgardian magic) this and the fact that he was no longer in possession of his godly constitution granted by Odin, made the drowsiness caused by the medicine feel ten times more potent than it would to an average human being.

Loki started moving towards his destination, but the longer he walked the harder he found it to concentrate, deciding to take a moment to sit on one of the nearby bus station benches to rest a moment.

Thor and Jane returned after the movie, walking in and laughing as Jane put her keys on the coffee table.

“I’m going to go check on Loki to see if he’s feeling any better,” she said as she padded down the hallway. Loki’s door was open, and Jane stopped in her tracks realizing immediately that the room had been packed up. “Uh…Thor, you might want to come back here…”

It had taken no more than an hour for Thor to find Loki passed out on the bus bench. Thor pursed his lips as he took in Loki’s bag and his clothing. He was certain that Loki had meant to leave, and snatching his bag and throwing it over his shoulder; he reached down and snagged Loki violently to his feet and over his other shoulder.

Loki groaned and his eyes cracked open, dreamily aware that someone was jostling him about.

“Hnn? Five more minutes, Mama…” he mumbled before going limp. It wasn't until Thor started walking back to Jane's home that Loki started becoming more awake. His eyes opened again and he found himself looking down at the ground. He blinked, trying to understand what was happening. That's when he realized that he was being carried by Thor. Fear surged through his body. No, this couldn't be happening. He had been caught! That blasted medicine of Jane's was the cause of it. Not knowing what to do, he went limp again. Maybe if he pretended to still be asleep nothing bad would come out of this.

Thor felt Loki stiffen and look about, and the fact that he tried to hide the fact that he was awake served to annoy Thor, but he decided that it’d be easier to get him back to Jane’s if Loki believed that he’d actually fooled him. So, Thor left him to think just that as Thor hoofed it back the eight blocks Loki had made it away from Jane’s abode.

Jane was standing on the porch waiting for Thor to return, and when she saw Loki slumped over his shoulder her hands went to her mouth as she gasped, “Oh, no! Is he okay?”

Thor still wore a look of annoyance, but he held one hand to his lips to silence Jane as he stated, “I found him like this laid out on a bench up the road. I need to get him inside if you’ll excuse me, Jane.”

Jane seemed confused but opened the door for Thor as he strode in with Loki still limply over his shoulder as she followed curiously behind them.

With his eyes still closed, Loki listened to every word said. His heart beat faster and felt to drop down to his feet when he suddenly realized that if Thor chose to spank him now he would be doing it in Jane’s house…with Jane present. This thought almost made him blow his pretense. No, this wasn’t happening. What would Jane think? How could he ever show his face around her again if she knew he'd been spanked like a naughty toddler by his older brother? A whimper started forming in his throat as he felt himself being carried through the living room.

Thor wasted no time bringing Loki straight back to his bedroom and where Loki may have thought he might lay him comfortably in his bed; that was not what happened. Thor dropped Loki’s bag on the nightstand before promptly sitting. He deftly drew Loki between his legs and cinched his thighs together to keep the trickster in place as he planned to blister his bottom quite well for this stunt and didn’t want to deal with his kicking legs now that Loki would not be getting away from him no matter how he may try.

Loki opened his eyes and let out a yelp when he felt Thor's thighs tighten around his legs. He was now fully awake and fully functional, and fully aware of the situation he was now in. Being trapped between Thor's legs threw him off balance for a few seconds and he struggled to right himself. He pushed against Thor's chest in frustration, glaring down at him.

“Nonono, Thor! Don’t! You can’t do it here. Jane will hear us!” He kept his voice low. He glanced up to see that the bedroom door was still standing wide open and grimaced. Whimpering, he turned a pleading look to Thor. “Please, don’t do this to me! Pleasssseeee. Can’t you wait until we get back to Asgard?” His face was already turning slightly red. "I-I'm sorry! This isn't what it looks like. Honest! I can explain."

Thor’s brow drew down. “Your dress and bag explained enough for you already, so don’t lie to me now; it will not help your case. As for Jane? I already warned you that it would not matter where we were when you misbehaved that you would be dealt with promptly. I think you did not take our conversation in the grand hall serious enough, but not to worry, Loki, you are about to see just how serious I am now.” As he said this, Thor grabbed Loki’s outer arm, yanking his body to the right to twist him back sideways as his other muscled arm wrapped around his waist, propelling his body to jackknife into a bent over position. Once Loki’s bottom was squarely in view, Thor began landing heavy handed swats down, clearly still quite frustrated and hurt that Loki had tried to run off when he had given him his trust.

Jane had followed Thor and watched in awe now as she saw Loki upended over Thor’s knee, a full view of his leather-clad bottom now twitching and wriggling to avoid the slaps that hit it unerringly.

Loki wanted to say something, but Thor’s hand coming down on his backside practically knocked the wind out of him. The only thing that came out were a few incoherent gasps and yelps as he struggled to get out of the tight hold. He squeezed his eyes shut and fought against the onslaught that peppered his bottom, determined not to cry. Fortunately, he was wearing his leather pants, which cushioned some of the blows.

“Thor!” he managed to get out between gasps. “Stop! Please! I’m sorry!”

Thor growled unbelievingly, “Are you? I think not, but you will be soon enough.” Seeing Jane standing there he nodded his head at her. “Jane, I need to teach my brother a grave lesson tonight that he will not soon forget. Would you be of assistance and fetch me a sturdy implement to aid in his discipline?”

Jane’s mouth worked to say something, still mesmerized by the sight in front of her, before she absently nodded and backed away from the scene and ducked into the kitchen.

“Jane’s here??” Loki squeaked out. He twisted in Thor’s hold and pushed himself up with his free hand, trying to look behind him, his eyes frantically looking toward the door. He blushed furiously at the thought of Jane watching the whole scene. “No, no, please. I beg of you, don’t,” he sniveled, twisting his trapped arm in hopes of getting it free.

Thor didn’t listen, though, and much to Loki’s horror lifted his waist off his knee as he began pulling at the ties that held Loki’s britches in place.

“NO! Don’t you dare!” Loki screeched out, tears starting to stream down his cheeks now. He put his hand under him to grab hold of his trousers to keep them in place. After some hard struggling, he somehow managed to get one leg loose and fell sideways off Thor’s knee. The only thing keeping him held in place was the one arm and leg that was still trapped in Thor’s hold.

Thor was quick to yank the struggling trickster back up on his knee which only helped Loki’s pants to drop down fully to his knees as Thor re-secured his arm around Loki’s waist and pulled his hip into his hip to keep Loki immobile. “You’ll not avoid justice, Loki!” Thor began peppering the underside of his bottom now, pulling Loki forward so that most of his stinging swats landed where his butt and thighs met.

Jane blushed furiously as she turned the corner and saw Loki’s bare backside. “Oh, oh my.” She used her one hand to cover her eyes as she turned away. “I...uh...I brought you a baking spatula? I…I didn’t know what else to bring you, but my mom used one of these on me, and it hurt like the dickens!” 

Even though he was still in shock over the pain the new series of swats brought, Loki still managed to twist his head around to look over his shoulder, trying to get a peek at whatever horrid thing Jane brought for Thor to use on him. He uttered a whimper when his eyes landed on the spatula. Then he looked up at Jane, who had removed her hand from her face long enough for both of them to momentarily lock eyes. His face turned deeper red and more tears spilled out of his eyes as he struggled to one-handedly cover his backside with the tails of his coat.

"Pleasssse, don't," he wailed miserably. His butt was already clenching in anticipation of the stinging swats he knew were coming in the next few minutes.

Thor had no mercy, though, as he motioned his hand toward Jane for the proffered item. Jane lamely reached out to give the item to Thor, feeling rather awkward as she quickly backed away, folding her arms nervously, and out of the room but still watching on from a distance unable to look away from the scene that was playing out in front of her.

“You’ve disappointed me, Loki, and deceived me when I trusted you. Do you know how that makes me feel?” As he spoke, Thor began to use the spatula in quick succession like that of a quickened heartbeat. The implement was excruciating, blossoming a horrible sting that remained for several moments even after the instrument had moved on to another place to strike.

Loki emitted something between a squeal and a screech as soon as the spatula landed on a tender area, and he struggled harder to twist out of Thor's hold. At this point, he wasn't sure which was worse, the switch or the spatula. All he knew is that it stung. And it didn't help that Thor kept bringing it down on the underside of his butt.

"Owwwwww!!" Loki hollered, choking out a sob. "I'm sorry! I-I didn't mean to disappoint you. I jus-just wanted to get away. YOW! Ahhhh!" Another sob came out along with another fresh wave of tears. Thor's words hurt about as bad, if not worse, than the spatula that continued to take bites out of him.

Thor didn’t seem like he was anywhere near with delivering pain to Loki’s rear as he continued to disperse an even layer of swats up and down Loki’s bottom pausing to give extra swats to Loki’s sit spots. “You say this Loki, but you keep acting so selfishly! I am doing my best to care for you, but you constantly continue to test my patience like an unruly child! This is why Father decreed me as your guardian! Your failure is my failure Loki! And I refuse to fail you!”

Loki wailed and cried out his misery, his hitched breath coming in short bursts mixed with sobs. Despite the fact that Thor was laying down more pain every second, a vile part of Loki awakened.

"This is why I wanted to get away!" he spat. "I don't need to be cared for and I don't need a guardian! I'm an adult. I can make it on my own! YOW!" He twisted about again, trying to get loose as the spatula came down even harder. He hissed as the sting built up.

Thor, growing frustrated, picked up the tempo. “If you don’t need a guardian, then why is it that you can’t seem to keep yourself out of trouble? You prove it even now as you cannot even go one week’s time without earning a spanking for yourself for your inability to follow simple instructions.”

Loki squealed as he repeatedly hit Thor's leg with his free hand.

"Wha-what instructions? I'm your brother, Thor! OW! Not a slave! I'm tired of being told what to do and what not to do. Ouch! Every time I do something that displeases you, you wear my backside out. OW! Like you're doing now! C-can't we talk this over?"

“We _are_ talking it over,” Thor stated simply as he continued to pepper Loki’s backside. “It is BECAUSE you are my brother that I do this, Loki!” He paused the spanking to fully address Loki waiting for him to return his gaze before he continued, “Do you not see the path you have been walking that has led to death and division of our family? The poor choices that you’ve made and what has become of you or would become of you if we did not love you enough to pull you back from your destructive nature?” Thor leaned closer, giving Loki an imploring look. “At what point do you think I’m supposed to stop caring what happens to you? Because I can’t, Loki, no, I won’t.”

Loki hung limply over Thor's knee, grateful for the break. He continued to sob long and hard, trying to catch his breath. Guilt had started taking him over long before Thor paused. He knew he had done wrong. It hurt him to think he had betrayed Thor and even dragged Jane into it all by tricking and lying to her. Thor's words weren't lost on him. He listened and it made the guilt he was feeling that much worse. He was secretly glad that he hadn't made it to that portal and that he was back home...even if it _was_ painful.

Loki nodded. "I-I'm sorry. Truly I am," he sniffled and choked out a sob. "I wa-wanted to leave and go to another realm and hide there to get away because I was angry. I-I planned it all out even before we came here." He swallowed and continued. "Tha-that was the only reason I wanted to come at first. It was all a trick...a-a lie. Bu-but you and Jane..." He struggled to get the words out, "You made me fee-feel loved and wanted. Tonight when I left, I hesitated at the door. I wondered if I was do-doing the right thing. Bu-but I still went through with it." He squeezed his eyes closed. "I don't know why I did, but I did. And I'm sorry!" He squirmed around on Thor's knee and finally turned a red, tear and snot stained face up to look at his brother. More tears spilled out of his eyes. "I'm sorry I disappointed you."

Thor sighed tiredly, tossing the spatula on the bed as he took a long moment to consider Loki. He wanted to stop spanking Loki now and just tell him everything was going to be okay but to not finish his punishment would be a disservice to Loki in the long run, Thor knew. He looked away from his tearful eyes and as if working up the nerve he finally turned back to Loki, a look of pity in his eyes. “I forgive you, Loki, but you know we must finish what we’ve started here. I’ll not continue with the implement, but I promised to make you full sore for this, and I plan to keep my word.”

Jane had been standing timidly back in the doorway, one hand clutched around her waist while the other touched her throat. Hearing Loki’s words broke her heart to hear him hurt so, and hearing Thor planned to continue made her step forward now. “Thor…Thor, he’s had enough. Come on, look at him?”

Loki almost forgot about Jane being nearby until she spoke. Had she been watching all this time? Loki’s stomach dropped and he felt like crying again. He was deeply embarrassed that his well spanked bottom was still fully exposed and on display. His red face turned a deeper hue, and he ducked his head to hide from her. All he wanted to do was sink into the floor and disappear. Maybe it would have been better if he had made it to the portal after all. At least it would have saved him the humiliation. He liked the sound of what Jane said. Whimpering, he turned a sad face up at Thor again, eager to hear what his reply would be. His butt felt extremely sore and hot. He didn't know how he could take any more.

Thor was torn, but he shook his head. “You don’t understand, Jane. To end a lesson part way because I don’t want to continue will not help Loki. I must not waver in my convictions, or they will forever be tested. Do you understand?”

Jane nodded lightly. “Okay, Thor. You know your brother better than I do; I won’t interfere anymore.” She backed away, turning to go back into the living room.

“Jane!” Loki suddenly shouted out, twisting to look behind him. He didn’t know why he shouted her name. Something about being left alone with Thor’s punishing hand frightened him. He turned his eyes to his brother again. “Noooooo,” he cried, shaking his head. “Please, Thor, I’ve learned my lesson. I can’t handle anymore.”

Jane stood, moving around the couch to stand in the hallway, but she didn’t come any further out of respect for Thor.

Thor adjusted Loki once more over his knee. “You can, and you will, Loki. Please don’t make this harder on both of us.” As he said this, Thor lifted his hand, bringing it back down squarely on the under curve on Loki’s bottom, renewing their previous rhythm.

“OWWWW!” Loki screamed out, arching his back. He gasped at the new pain that blossomed over his already well-roasted cheeks. “Thor, please! OW!” Unable to contain himself any longer, he threw his hand back to shield himself.

Thor easily caught his hand, pinning it to the small of his back and continuing to swat his reddened rear, igniting it anew. “You’re going to learn now, Loki, any time you try to run away, I will find you, and when I do, I will promise that every time I catch you, you will suffer a worse punishment than the time before. Are we clear?”

“Yes!” Loki squeaked out hoarsely, nodding. He really didn't care what Thor said at this point, he just wanted it to be over!

Thor continued to spank Loki a little longer until he was quite sure he’d made his point before he pulled his pants back into place and picked him up off of his lap. Thor guided him to sit on his bed as he sat next to him. “I’m sorry I had to do that to you, Loki.” Thor seemed saddened now as his eyes stared ahead at the wall.

Loki said nothing as he uttered heavy sobs. Finding sitting highly uncomfortable, he chose instead to lie on his stomach across the bed. He reached back to rub at his cheeks, but he felt like his butt was too sore for it to even help. His tight leather trousers weren’t helping as usual. As spanked as he was, they only made it feel like someone had poured hot coals down his pants. He wanted nothing more than to change into his silky pajamas that were in his knapsack.

Reaching over to Loki, Thor pulled the stray hairs away from his face and smoothed them behind his ear as he moved to rub comforting circles in between his shoulder blades. “It’s done; we will be heading back to Asgard tomorrow.”

Loki’s sobs had calmed somewhat, but his breathing was still hitched, mixed with occasional hiccups. He rubbed his eyes and wiped his nose on his sleeve. At hearing they would be heading back to Asgard the next day, he turned a frown to Thor, shaking his head.

"I'm sorry I ruined the trip," he softly said. "I don't want to go back just yet."

Thor studied Loki’s face, taking his thumb and gently wiping a tear from his cheek. “I don’t know, Loki…I’m not as equipped to deal with you here. I’ll tell you what, I’ll think on it, and I’ll decide in the morning.”

A soft knock came at the door, and both men glanced over to see Jane was there holding a tall glass of ice water. “I…I thought Loki might want something to drink.” She gave a small embarrassed smile before looking down for interrupting their moment.

Thor rose from the bed. “Go ahead, Jane, I’m sure he’ll appreciate it.” Turning his head in Loki’s direction he stated, “Get some rest, Loki.” Moving past Jane now, Thor continued into the living room.

Jane approached Loki now, standing beside him. “Do you mind if I sit down with you?”

Loki rolled over to lie on his side, cringing, and shyly looked at Jane. He shook his head, his face turning red again. He would have preferred to clean up first and change into his pajamas, but he settled for waiting until later. He was suddenly self-conscious of his wet face and snotty nose.

Jane kindly smiled down at him as she sat and offered him the water. “Here, this might make you feel a little better.”

Loki gladly took the water and drank about half of it before pulling the glass away from his mouth.

“Thank you,” he softly said, subtly rubbing his rear. He kept his eyes down, refusing to look at Jane. “I-I-I’m sorry for the…the view you must have seen awhile ago.” His cheeks turned redder and a few fresh tears made their way out of his eyes and down his cheeks. “I’m so embarrassed.”

Seeing Loki begin to cry made Jane’s heart hurt, and feeling she needed to do something, she wrapped her arm around him and pulled him into her. “Hey, hey, don’t worry about it, okay?” She held him tightly now, feeling he needed a hug.

Loki tensed at feeling Jane’s touch, not really sure how to react. His eyes darted around nervously as Jane wrapped her arms around him for a hug. It didn't take long for his body to relax and he melted into the embrace. He should be angry with her for giving him that medicine that made him sleep and also for handing Thor the spatula, but he wasn't. Being hugged by her suddenly made him think of Frigga. He closed his eyes and sighed heavily, more tears running down his cheeks.

Jane held him, feeling his tears soak into her shirt as she pulled him protectively to her. She wasn’t sure why, but his vulnerability sparked some deep seeded maternal need to comfort him, and so she gave him a small kiss on the top of his head as she spoke softly to him, “It’s going to be okay, Loki. I’ll talk to Thor and see if I can get him to agree to stay a little longer. Okay?”

Loki nodded, a small smile appearing on his mouth. “I…don’t want to leave like this. I’d like to leave with happy memories and not…well…I don’t want your last memory of this visit being me getting spanked.” He blushed again. "I'm sorry...for everything. These past few days have been wonderful."

“I’d like that too. I don’t think Thor wants to go either, so I don’t think it’ll be too hard to convince him,” Jane said as she smiled, thinking Loki looked so young here, blushing and acting so shy while he spoke. It was a strong change from the man that had arrived five days ago.

Loki nodded again, finally pulling himself away from Jane and attempting to sit. It wasn’t going to happen. His butt told him so the moment it came in contact with the mattress. He jerked and hissed.

“Odin’s beard! And here I thought a switch was bad.” He grimaced as he fought to find a comfortable position. He glanced over at the spatula that was still lying on the bed beside him. “Your mother used that thing on you?” He looked to Jane. “I pity you.”

Jane laughed. “Let’s just say, it made me a quick study.” She smiled brightly at Loki. “Well, I don’t know if you’re interested, but I brought you home something to eat on our way back from the theater. It’s a bowl of chicken noodle soup from Subway…you know, because I thought you were actually sick and all.” She gave him a soft elbow as she gently chided, “Jerk.”

He gave her an embarrassed smile and cleared his throat. "Yeah, I really don't want to talk about that." He glanced at the doorway. "Sure, I guess I can eat something. Although, would it be okay if I did so in here? I...don't want to be around Thor right now." He eased himself off the bed. "But first, I'd like to wash up and change into something more comfortable."

Jane smiled, touching his cheek affectionately. “Yeah, that’s fine. I’ll tell you what, I’ll go ahead and pop it in the microwave and when you’re ready, I’ll heat it up. Until then, I’ll let you go ahead and grab a shower and change. I’m going to go talk to Thor while you do so as he’s looking like a sour puss over there.” She pointed in Thor’s direction. Thor had been sitting on the couch looking rather downtrodden as Jane and Loki had their conversation. “I’ll be out here when you’re ready, okay?”

Loki smiled and nodded. "You can come back in twenty minutes. I should be done by then."

When Jane walked out of the room, he sighed and walked over to his knapsack on the night table. He pulled out his pajamas and a hairbrush and walked into the adjoining bathroom, turning the light on. His reflection in the mirror over the sink caught his eyes and he grimaced. He looked like he had been through a wringer: hair all askew, eyes red and swollen, dried tear streaks and snot. He turned away and began taking his leather clothes off and tossing them into the bedroom outside. He stifled a cry when he peeled down his trousers. The cool air hitting his rear was a welcomed relief. He turned around to look at his butt in the mirror. It was a bright cherry red from his cheeks all the way down to his thighs. He marveled over the fact that there was no broken skin. But it was definitely tender...and hot. He poked his right butt cheek and winced.

"Stupid Thor," he grumbled as he rubbed and massaged his cheeks a few minutes. He took a shower, brushed his hair, and dressed in his pajamas. He felt a little better, but his rear still felt sore and inflamed. He walked to the bed and pulled the covers back. Then he saw 'it'...the spatula lying at the foot of the bed. He scowled hatefully at the cursed thing, picked it up, and threw it across the room to land out in the hallway. Afterward, he crawled into bed and lay on his stomach. The shower helped to relax him into feeling sleepy. Either that or it was the remains of Jane's medicine. He wasn't sure which. Or maybe he was just exhausted from everything that had happened. Whatever it was, he felt his eyes beginning to droop. He snuggled his face into his pillow and stuck one of his thumbs in his mouth and dozed off.

Jane had waited for Loki to come out to eat his soup, but when she’d realized that he’d curled into his bed and retired for the night, she packed the soup into a Tupperware container for later. Noticing the spatula in the hallway, she moved to grab it, washing it and putting it in the strainer.

Thor was still sitting on the couch, his shoulders slumped as Jane came to sit next to him. “Hey there, big guy.”

Thor turned a melancholy glance her way. “Hello, Jane.”

Coming to sit next to him she wrapped an arm around him, giving him a hug. “You know, I don’t think Loki is going to try that again anytime soon. You guys don’t really have to leave tomorrow.”

Thor grunted. “Hmm. It would probably be best if we leave tomorrow, Jane. Today has shown me that I’m ill-equipped for Loki’s antics. If he tries something in Asgard, I have more eyes and strength than I do here to deal with him. He’s in a precarious position, you must understand, I have to think of his future and what staying here may entail.”

Jane sighed, giving Thor a sidelong look. “Thor, I’ve talked to him, he’s not going anywhere. Come on, can you at least give it a day or two to see how it pans out?”

Thor sighed heavily, looking at Jane and considering her words before giving her a small smile. “Alright, Jane, if you think everything will work itself out, I’m willing to give it a shot.” He leaned in to give her an affectionate kiss that she readily returned.

“Come on, let’s go get some rest,” Jane said as she rose, pulling Thor up hand in hand. They both walked down the hall toward her bedroom but stopped to check in on Loki before they went, looking in on him and softly closing his bedroom door as they headed to bed themselves.

Jane led Thor to bed, but feeling a niggling feeling to check on Loki one last time, she came back to his room, easing the door open and moving the covers up to cover him. It was then that she noticed he had the tip of his thumb in his mouth which caused a small giggle to leave her lips.


	9. Grounded

Loki awoke the next morning still in the position he had been in when he lay down. It took him a few minutes to get his bearings, thinking everything that had happened the previous night had been a horrible dream. He yawned and moved to get up. Pain shot through his rear and he uttered a small cry, putting his hand behind him to feel of the massive sore that was his rear. No, it hadn't been a dream after all. He slid off the bed backward and stiffly stood, rubbing out the pain in his backside. His face flushed with more embarrassment when the realization that he would have a hard time sitting comfortably for a few days hit him.

Sighing, he made his way to the door, opened it, and slowly walked down the hallway and into the living room where Thor and Jane were. He timidly stood in the doorway, his hands tucked behind him subtly rubbing at his bottom.

Jane smiled at Loki sweetly. “Good morning, Loki, we already ate, but I can make you something to eat if you’re hungry. Would you like something to eat?"

Thor gave Loki a small nod of acknowledgment. “You slept in quite late. I’ve been doing some thinking, but I will wait to discuss it with you until after you eat.”

Loki scowled at Thor, refusing to say anything. He walked past the couch, smiling at Jane and nodding.

“Yes, please,” he softly replied.

Thor merely shook his head at Loki’s insolence, deciding then and there if the trickster gave him any lip that he would get a few reminder swats to remind him to curb the attitude.

Jane walked forward, giving Loki’s forearm an affectionate squeeze. “Come on, I’ll make you an egg and cheese sandwich.” She moved towards the kitchen, asking Loki details about how he liked his eggs.

Loki gave a light shrug. “Doesn’t matter,” he replied. “D-do you have any bacon, by chance?”

Jane laughed. “Well, I guess I can make some bacon too, my dear prince.”

Thor rose from the couch, walking back to the bedroom to get a shower.

Jane searched through the fridge, pulling out the items she would need along with the bacon Loki had asked for.

While Jane busied herself with making breakfast, Loki moved to sit in one of the chairs placed around the table. He immediately bolted upright again, rubbing at his soreness. Frowning, he stood to the side and looked highly disgruntled.

Jane hadn’t seemed to notice Loki’s discomfort, busy attending to his breakfast. “So, I did talk to Thor in depth last night, and he agreed that you guys could stay a little longer…if you still want to, that is.” Jane turned to see Loki standing by the window looking quite miserable and felt the need to reach out to him. “Do you want to talk about it?”

“Yes, I still want to stay,” he replied, not turning from the window. “And what’s to talk about? I got spanked like a child. End of story.” His cheeks were beginning to flush a little. He couldn’t believe he was having this conversation with Jane. He quickly glanced at her before turning his gaze to the window again. “It’s not the first time. Thor seems to enjoy causing me pain lately.”

Her eyebrows rose at Loki’s admission. “…Oh? Do you really think Thor enjoys causing you pain?” She flipped the eggs and turned the bacon as she spoke.

Loki remained quiet. He really wasn’t sure how to answer that. A part of him wanted to say no, but the other part wanted to scream out yes.

“He didn’t have to do it so hard,” Loki mumbled instead. "I won't be able to sit for the rest of this week."

Jane couldn’t help smiling at Loki’s petulance, although she kept her face looking towards the stove, feeling he’d likely not appreciate her finding amusement in his plight. She spoke carefully trying to keep the amusement out of her voice, “A week’s an awfully long time…I thought you Asgardians had impeccable constitutions.”

Loki shot her a hard glare, huffed, and turned away, angrily rubbing at the underside of his bottom as if constantly rubbing at it would magically make the pain go away by the time Jane got his breakfast done.

When Loki hadn’t responded, Jane afforded a look back to him rubbing at the obvious soreness he had mentioned. She smiled again, realizing now why he wasn’t sitting. “If you want, Loki, I can grab you a cushion for your chair. I’d hate to see you have to eat your breakfast standing up.”

Loki’s cheeks turned brighter red. He shyly looked over at her and gave a quick nod. Truth be told, he just wanted to erase these two days and pretend they never happened. If word ever got out about all of this, he’d never be able to live it down. It was bad enough Jane had witnessed it.

Smiling sympathetically she responded, “Okay, give me a second to flip the bacon, and I’ll go get it for you.” She deposited the eggs onto the plate she had set aside and flipped the bacon before heading down the hall and coming back a minute later with a fluffy chair cushion that she plopped into the seat in front of him. She gave it a few swats to fluff it. “There you go.” She smiled at him before moving back to the stove to tend to the bacon.

Glancing over to make sure Jane wasn’t looking, Loki walked over to the chair and gingerly sat down. He hissed, moving uncomfortably. Even with the cushion it still smarted. He kept his left hand snugly tucked under him while he picked up his fork with the other.

“I don’t understand why he had to choose spanking,” he griped. “It’s humiliating. I'm a grown man and a prince. I shouldn't have to put up with this nonsense."

Jane knew why Thor had chosen it as she mentally thought, ‘It’s because you’re a spoiled brat,’ but what she said was, “Maybe you should ask him?” Jane pushed the sizzling bacon onto the plate with the eggs, turning the stove off and placing the pan into the sink before scooping up Loki’s plate and setting it in front of him. “Bon appetite!”

“I might,” said Loki, stabbing his fork at the food on his plate. “Thank you, Jane.”

“You’re quite welcome. Did you want some OJ with that?” Jane asked as she began wiping down the stove.

"Yes, please."

Jane poured Loki a large glass, bringing it back to notice all of the bacon had already been eaten. “Wow…you really like bacon, don’t you?”

“Yes,” he replied, smiling. “I have to confess that it’s one of the few things mortals have gotten right.”

She laughed. “Well, I suppose that’s a step in the right direction. I’m going to go get a shower, just set your dishes in the sink when you’re finished.” Jane moved down the hall leaving Loki to enjoy his meal.

Loki watched her leave and then turned back to his plate. When he looked up again, he caught sight of Thor walking down the hallway, still toweling off his wet hair. He grumbled something under his breath, looking down again. He wasn't looking forward to being around his brother just yet and had hoped to eat the rest of his breakfast alone, in peace. He continued to eat and drink his orange juice, ignoring Thor's presence.

Thor came in, pulling out a chair and flipping it around to straddle it as he sat facing Loki. "Finish up your breakfast, and then you and I need to talk." Thor didn't leave, just watched Loki now expectantly.

Loki put a bite of food in his mouth and slowly chewed, lifting his head slightly to glare at Thor. He never liked hearing those words, especially lately where the word ‘talk’ was often a synonym for ‘your butt is going to get roasted’.

He sighed, taking another bite. “What about?” he asked in a low voice, dreading the answer.

Thor held up a hand. “We will talk when you finish, until then just enjoy your breakfast.” Thor knew that what he had to tell Loki would likely make him very unhappy, so he was being kind to keep it to himself for now.

Loki’s hand stopped halfway to his mouth. Thor waiting to tell him after he finished didn’t sound good. A chill went down his body and he swallowed.

As if noting that Loki was becoming uncomfortable, Thor rose. “I’ll let you eat in peace, but stay seated, I’ll be back in a ten minutes, so we can have our talk.”

Several minutes after Thor left, Loki finally finished. He pushed his dirty dishes to the side and nervously waited for Thor’s return. He wasn’t sure what his brother wanted to talk over with him, but he knew it probably wasn’t good. Surely he wasn’t going to spank him again. Didn't he know that he was still sore from the night before? Frowning, Loki reached under him, repositioning the pillow.

Thor didn’t leave Loki waiting long as he moved back to the kitchen. Seeing Loki had finished, he came back to sit at the table, looking up at Loki in all seriousness. “I’ve done a lot of thinking, and as you know already, Jane and I spoke last night concerning us staying longer. I’ve decided that we will stay, but I think what you did should not be rewarded, so I’ve decided that to balance your deed, you’ll spend the next three days in your room. You will only leave it during meal times and return thereafter. That should give you time to think on your actions.”

Loki’s mouth hung open, not entirely understanding. His eyes intently studied Thor's serious face.

“What?” he breathed out, his brow scrunching up. “B-but…I thought you already punished me for it. Now you want to lock me away, too??" He stood up.

Thor knew this wasn’t going to go well, and he yanked Loki’s chair leg forward, swooping Loki off his feet and back into his chair forcefully as he yanked him and the chair to be inches from his face. “Sit down, and stay seated!”

“OW!” Loki cried out when his rear hit the chair. He cringed in agony, throwing his hands under him to nurse his injured backside. When the pain subsided, he looked at Thor.

“Have you gone mad?!” he spat. “Isn’t _this_ enough?” He pointed at his butt.

Thor shook his head. “No,” he stated flatly. “You need a little more incentive, I think, so that is what we are going to do. Do not push my patience, Loki, it’s just a grounding, but if you do not obey, I will be forced to spank you again, and then you will sit on a stool facing the corner to remind you that it can always get worse. Do you understand me?”

Loki’s mouth worked silently, his eyes looking everywhere but Thor’s face. It was bad enough Thor spanked him and planned to ground him. But the thought of being spanked and forced to sit in a corner thoroughly humiliated him to the core. He leaned back in his chair, staring down at his lap.

“Yes, sir,” he mumbled. He decided to go through with it without protest. Mainly because he didn't like the thought of going through a second round with that horrible spatula. He turned saddened eyes up at Thor, his lip slightly pooched out.

Thor hated when Loki looked at him like that, it made him want to cave in and slack on the punishment, but he willed himself to keep his face firm as he gave a slight nod. “Good. I’m glad we are on the same page. Now, I think you know where you need to be.” Thor stood, pushing his chair back to give Loki room to move to his room unimpeded.

Without taking his eyes off Thor, Loki quickly got up from his chair and walked at a fast pace through the living room and down the hall, turning to enter his room and shutting the door. He stood in the middle of the room, not really certain what to do. A few days ago he had a brilliant plan to escape to another realm, now he felt like he had lost all control of everything, even his own life. Tears formed in his eyes as he walked to the side of the bed and flung himself across it. Thor was so cruel. He knew Loki didn't like being confined. So what had possessed him to do something like this? Loki grabbed a pillow and kneaded it in his frustration, tears now streaming down his cheeks. Three days of being in this...purple room. Loki shuddered, burying his face his pillow and crying.

Jane padded out to the kitchen after hearing Loki shut his door and peeked her head in to give Thor a sympathetic look. “How did it go?”

Thor sighed heavily. “About as good as could be expected. He’s not happy about it. He’ll get over it in time.”

When he felt he couldn’t cry anymore, Loki got up and walked over to the door. Quietly, he pulled it open just a crack and listened to Thor and Jane’s conversation.

He heard the two laughing and enjoying a movie, mostly talking about trivial matters with her job, although one point of interest did come up and that was that Darcy had planned to come over for dinner the next night.

Darcy? Who was Darcy? That was great, Loki thought. They were planning to have company when he was still grounded and his butt still sore. How was he ever going to hide those two things from guests? What next? In his anger, Loki pushed the door closed…a little too hard. Worrying that Jane and Thor heard, he rushed back to lie on the bed.

Someone had; Jane padded to his door, knocking lightly. “Is everything okay, Loki?”

Loki backed up against the headboard of the bed.

"Y-yes! everything's fine," he called out. "W-why do you ask?"

Jane was silent a moment before responding, “No reason, I thought I heard the door open and was just checking to see if you needed anything.”

"Well, now that you mention it, I would like a few more books," he calmly said.

Loki could hear Jane’s smile through her voice. “I think I can arrange that. Hold on.” She moved away from the door, returning a few minutes later. She cracked the door open and waited a moment in case Loki protested her coming into his room. Receiving no response, she peeked in to make sure Loki was dressed and opened the door, holding three books out to him. One was a book on Norse mythology, one was a North American history book, and the other was a book by the name _Animal Farm_.

Loki got up and walked to the door. "Thank you," he said sullenly, taking the books from Jane.

Jane gave his shoulder a squeeze. “Try not to get so down, Loki, you’ve almost got one day down, only two more to go.” She wasn’t sure if that would be comforting to Loki or not, but it couldn’t hurt to try to have him look at the bright side.

Loki shrugged then nodded. He watched Jane leave, sighed, and walked back to his bed. When he wasn't stewing or thinking about things he wouldn't dare say aloud in front of Thor, he spent most of the day reading. His first choice was the Norse mythology book, of which he became disgusted with halfway through due to so many parts of it being untrue or inaccurate. Was that how mortals really saw his world… and him? Pathetic. He tossed it to the side. Eventually, he settled down with the history book. It was dull, but at least he had fun picking out and rolling his eyes at the faults and flaws of humanity and thinking how he could improve on them if he was the ruler of Midgard.

Ruler of Midgard… It almost seemed like a joke now. Loki slammed the book closed, staring ahead of him at the door. He sighed as he thought back on everything that had happened up until the current moment. How did he ever end up in this situation? Okay, maybe he had made a few mistakes here and there, but everything hadn’t been entirely his fault. Thor and Odin were unjustly punishing him for things he didn’t even do. He looked at the purple walls around him. He had been grounded on top of the worst spanking he had gotten so far. For what?—because he had attempted to get away from all of the unjustness and live his own life. It just wasn’t fair!

Loki laid his head on his folded arms and began to cry again.


	10. Awkward Dinner With Darcy

So it was that the rest of that night and the next day passed without incident. Jane had been sure to make dishes she knew Loki really enjoyed as a consolation for him having to suffer in his room all day.

Darcy arrived earlier than expected, and she seemed quite happy to see Thor as the three laughed and carried on excitedly not having seen each other in quite a while since Darcy had been taking classes upstate.

Two hours into their visit, dinner was finally ready, and Jane made her way back to Loki’s room, giving a light knock on the door. “Loki? Are you awake? Dinner is ready, hon.”

A few minutes passed and Loki finally opened the door. He was dressed in his casual green tunic and matching pants. He said nothing but instead allowed Jane to escort him to the kitchen table. His mood was still sulky, only by now it was tinged with a hint of annoyance. He was getting fed up with this treatment and only wished for it to be over with. Though, he was curious about who this Darcy was. When he entered the kitchen, he silently eyed the new mortal from behind Jane.

Darcy’s jaw dropped. “Dude, you didn’t tell me you had the New York death bringer under your roof!”

Jane flushed, shaking her head. “Darcy, this is Loki, he’s Thor’s brother, and he’s not all that bad when you get to know him.”

Thor chimed in, “Not to worry, Darcy, my brother is under my care, he will not harm you.”

Loki rolled his eyes at Thor's words. He was going to correct Darcy by telling her it wasn't his fault, but he thought better of it and kept his mouth shut. He continued eyeing the girl with an amused smirk, looking her up and down. It occurred to him that he recognized her from some of the photos on the living room wall. Finally, Jane ushered him to his chair, where he carefully sat. Fortunately, he wasn't as sore as he was, but his rear was still tender enough to cause discomfort.

Darcy, being a sharp girl, noticed that only Loki seemed to have a cushion on his seat, and thinking it odd, wondered aloud, “Where’s the other seat cushions?”

Thor thinking nothing of it answered, “Only Loki needs one; Jane brought it out for him to help…”

“THOR!” Jane interrupted, blushing fiercely for Loki’s sake.

Thor, not understanding what was wrong, looked to Jane questioningly to which she motioned for him to follow her into the hallway.

When Jane and Thor left, Loki's face turned red and he sank lower in his seat. Shyly, he glanced across the table at Darcy, trying his best not to make eye contact with her.

Darcy seemed flabbergasted by the sudden outburst over a simple question. “What was all that about?”

"N-nothing," Loki softly replied, his mind working to find something to say. Suddenly, he looked up at Darcy. "I'm...the only one who has a pillow because I pulled a muscle in New York. It's not a seat cushion, it's..." Loki took the pillow and moved it up between his back and the back of the chair, momentarily wincing when his bottom came in contact with the hard seat, "It's for my back."

At that moment Thor and Jane came back into the room, Thor looking thoroughly chided. Of course, he looked oddly at the fact Loki had moved the cushion but, after the talk he had with Jane, thought better than to speak on it.

Darcy looked around the room. Seeing how tense everyone had become, she sat back and whistled before stating to no one in particular, “Awkward…”

Jane just rolled her eyes, turning to the oven to pull out the lasagna.

Loki cautiously looked over at Thor then to Darcy.

Darcy was doing the same, and Thor was just staring at Loki’s cushion. Unable to fathom why Loki had moved it, he queried, “Why did you move your pillow? It can’t be doing you any good there?”

Jane, deciding she was not going to involve herself further, busied herself by cutting up the lasagna portions.

Darcy crinkled her brow but didn’t say anything either, feeling she probably wasn’t ever going to understand what was going on.

Loki refused to answer Thor's question and slowly moved his hand to trace along the handle of his fork with his finger. He glanced over at Darcy again, and then to Jane, hoping someone would change the subject before the truth behind the pillow came out. Thor was determined to blurt it out one way or another. The dolt would.

"So...how long are you guys going to be in town?" Darcy questioned, trying to change the subject, and Jane seemed relieved.

Jane started serving everyone the lasagna. "Well, Thor and Loki were going to stay another week or two."

"Oh? You know, we can go to the Harbor tomorrow; they're having a lecture on Norse mythology! You guys should totally come!"

Thor shook his head. "We would if we could, but Loki is still not able to go anywhere until his punishment concludes. Will they have it again?"

The trickster visibly relaxed when the new subject came up, but then his stomach dropped when Thor saw fit to open his big mouth again. Loki kicked Thor’s shin under the table, shooting him an annoyed glare. He turned to the girls, smiling sheepishly and clearing his throat.

“That’s okay. I don’t care to go, anyway. You mortals have such twisted views when it comes to us." Loki looked at Jane. "You should throw away that mythology book you gave me to read. The chapter on me is a complete lie."

Darcy about choked on her ice water at hearing Thor’s reply. “Um…okay.”

Jane giggled, remarking on Loki’s comment, “Yeah, I thought the bit on the giant and the horse was especially eye-opening.”

Thor simply glared at Loki. “Do not do that again, Loki, or you know full well what to expect.”

Loki gave Thor a defiant stare and then turned to Jane again.

“I never did that,” he said annoyingly. He thought a moment before adding, "And the pictures in that book look nothing like me, either."

Thor was curious. “Did what?”

Jane blushed. “Yeah, I didn’t think so…it was…definitely different than what I would expect of you knowing you now.”

Darcy had turned three shades of red. “Oh, my gosh, Jane, I can’t believe you even brought that up?”

"Mortals believe I..." Loki coughed, lowering his gaze, "I...mated...with a horse and gave birth to Sleipnir." His cheeks turned red again.

Thor looked mortified. “They what?!” He looked around the table as if he’d heard him wrong.

Darcy looked down at the table. “Yep…that would be the myth…”

Jane couldn’t help but giggle again as she dug into her lasagna to avoid further comment. Her cheeks were also flushed, likely as embarrassed as Loki for even making the original comment, to begin with.

Feeling the air turning awkward again, Loki cleared his throat and changed the subject. “The part where Thor dresses as a bride and I his bridesmaid to fool the giant would be true, however.” He smirked. “Though how we got away with it for as long as we did is beyond me. That giant must have been blind. But it was definitely an awkward moment in our youth. The Warriors Three and Sif constantly reminded us of it for years after that. And Thor gets rather touchy when someone jokingly calls him a ‘princess’ now.”

Thor cringed at the distant reminder. “Yes, that was quite an awful spectacle, but the fight was a good one.” Remembering that part of the memory caused Thor to smile as he jibed at Loki. “Yes, I remember you wore that dress far longer than I did, Loki, and Fandral had hit on you before realizing it was you!”

Loki rolled his eyes, blushing. He thought for once he had the upper hand in embarrassing Thor.

Both of the women seemed to enjoy the conversation, laughing at both of them.

The rest of the dinner conversation was rather tame comparatively, and it wasn’t until everyone had finished with their meals and were sitting at the table for some time did Thor feel the need to mention something to Loki. “Loki, dinner has been concluded for some time. You know where you are supposed to be now.

Jane had been talking to Darcy about her latest star charts before growing quiet knowing this likely wasn’t going to go over well.

Loki glanced at everyone around the table before turning his attention back to Thor.

“But, Thor,” He lowered his voice, “we have a guest.”

Thor sighed not wishing to push the matter further, but knowing that it would need to be addressed. “Loki, you know that you are only supposed to be out of your room during meal times. I did not force you to go back to your room right away only because we had a guest, but now you are abusing my kindness. It’s time for you to go back to your room.”

Darcy’s eyes were going back and forth between Thor and Loki in obvious surprised shock at what she was hearing.

Jane rose now, beginning to clear the dishes, not wanting to interfere.

Loki swallowed and slowly stood up, his eyes nervously flitting over to Darcy. “B-but…”

“But what, Loki? You were already told what to expect for three days after your attempt to run away,” Thor stated tiredly, feeling like a broken record on the matter.

Darcy just seemed mesmerized by the conversation, her jaw was slack as she continued to stare.

Without saying another word, Loki slowly turned and walked away from the table and into the living room. But he didn’t go to his room. Instead, he stopped next to the couch, looking back to the kitchen.

Both women now looked at each other briefly before looking back at Loki as Thor rose, striding towards him with purpose.

Loki’s eyes widened and he backpedaled, hanging his foot on the leg of the couch and stumbling. He regained his footing and began backpedaling again.

"No, no," he whimpered. "I-I was just going to pick out another book."

Thor moved up to the couch, crossing his arms. “Is that so? You may pick one, but be quick about it.”

Darcy whispered to Jane, “Dude…they’re not going to start brawling in your living room, are they?”

Jane whispered back, “Um…not exactly.”

Slowly, Loki walked over to the bookshelf, making sure to give Thor a wide berth. He could feel his brother watching him as he shakily ran a finger over the titles.

Thor backed away, leaning against the wall as he casually watched Loki now.

Jane had taken a seat next to Darcy, and both were now eerily silent.

Loki eyed Thor out of the corner of his eye as he pulled off book after book and looked them over before placing them back on the shelf.

Thor began to grow impatient, and when it became clear that Loki was now testing him, Thor decided to push back. “Enough, Loki. You’ve squandered my tolerance for your defiance.”

Loki grabbed the book his hand was currently resting on and ran past Thor and down the hallway, stopping a few feet from the doorway of his bedroom to look back at his brother.

Thor slumped onto the couch, seeming to visibly relax. He hadn’t wanted to have to assert his authority over Loki, hating that his brother always seemed to need to push boundaries to get his way and Thor knowing that if he didn’t step up to the plate, Loki would walk all over him.

Loki sneered at Thor and leaned against the wall of the hallway, flipping through his newly chosen book.

Thor glanced back Loki’s way and seeing that Loki had made a point to deliberately disobey him stood and stormed towards Loki, intent on teaching Loki a hard earned lesson.

Seeing Thor coming toward him, Loki scrambled into the bedroom and slammed the door. Quickly, he ran to the bed, ripped the covers back, and jumped in, pulling the covers over him.

Thor did not let the closed door deter him as he flung it open and moved straight over to Loki’s bed, yanking the covers off of him and hauling him up by the bicep.

“Noooo, don’t. I’m still sore!” Loki whimpered, trying to jerk his arm loose of Thor’s hold. "I'm sorry!"

“You should have thought about that before you openly disregarded my requests on several counts.” As he said this, Thor dragged Loki over his knee. Of course, in his agitation, he failed to close Loki’s door, leaving their whole conversation very public.

“But I’m tired of staying in this room! You're cruel to keep me in here after I've already been punished once."

“That was only a part of your punishment, I already told you this, and now you push me further to have to punish you yet again for your disobedience!” Thor made quick work adjusting Loki on his knee as he then began tugging at his drawers.

Loki yelped and grabbed his pants to hold them in place.

"C-can't the trousers stay on? Please?" he said, looking over his shoulder at Thor.

Thor stopped tugging at his pants, looking to see the door was still open. “I will grant you that reprieve this once.” Pulling Loki forward on his knee to have access to the underside of his bottom, Thor swiftly began bringing his palm down in deafening smacks.

“OW!!” Loki screamed out, arching his back. He hadn’t meant to, but then again he hadn’t expected Thor to start spanking him in that particular spot. Of all places, he had to choose the one sensitive area where he was still the sorest. He kicked his feet, screaming out again. He tried holding in the tears, but they came sooner than he would have liked as Thor's hand continued to hit its mark quite thoroughly, reawakening the pain that had been lingering there since the last spanking.

As Thor spanked he lectured, “I didn’t want to have to do this to you, Loki, I warned you, several times even. Why do you feel the need to test me so, is this what you wanted?”

“No…” Loki sniveled out, then squealed when an especially hard swat landed. "I'm tired of being treated like a little kid."

Thor concentrated on Loki’s sit spots as he answered, “If you want to stop being treated like a child then perhaps it’s time you stopped acting like one. Your behavior has shown me little in the way that I should treat you like an adult.”

“Ouch!” Loki cried. He wanted to say more—a lot more. The vile part of him wanted to argue the point, but he decided to keep quiet. He didn’t want to make Thor madder than he already was. So instead he lay there, cringing and crying out his misery as the heat built up in his butt again. It looked like he would have to keep that pillow in the kitchen chair a little bit longer. The thought of that made him feel ashamed. Actually, he couldn’t believe he was in this position again. He had gotten spanked twice in one week, just a few days apart, and grounded on top of it. His eyes studied the floor in front of him. Maybe he did need to act better than he had been. But how could anyone blame him? He was being held in a room against his will, bored out of his mind. They might as well have sent him back to the prison cell in Asgard.

Loki squirmed on Thor's knee, trying in vain to move his bottom out of the way of the blows. "Enough. I've had enough." He sniffled. "Please, no more. I'm sorry. I-I didn't mean to earn this from you. I'm just so frustrated."

Thor did not stop, though. “This isn’t for you to decide when you’ve had enough, Loki, and maybe next time you’ll think twice before blatantly ignoring me,” Thor actually picked up the pace now peppering Loki’s backside trying to make a point that Loki would actually learn.

“Oh, wow…”

“Darcy! Get back in here!” Jane shouted and Darcy whipped her head back from around the hallway entrance to the kitchen.

Loki squealed louder at the pain of the new volley of swats, and then his reservoir broke. He proceeded to bawl like a baby as he kept on twisting and squirming.

“I’m sorry! You’ve made your point quite clear! I’ll try to do better. Honest!” he got out between sobs. “It’s just boring and lonely being shut up in here. I want this week to be over.”

Satisfied with Loki's contrition, Thor did stop. "Okay, Loki, I believe you want to do better, and I'll take you at your word." He helped Loki up to sit next to him. "I know you're not happy, but you also have to remember that this is punishment."

Thor didn't have to keep reminding him of that, Loki thought. He understood that part very well. He tried to scowl at his brother, but it was lost in the midst of his hitched breathing and blubbering.

"I-I won't go out of this room except for when you want me to," he said through his tears. "I p-promise."

Thor wrapped an arm around Loki’s shoulder and pulled the smaller man to his chest. “Calm yourself, Loki, it’s going to be okay. You’re more than halfway there, just try to hold on. I promise it’ll be over sooner than you think.”

Loki wrapped his arms around Thor and buried his face in his shoulder, sniffling and crying and trying to regain his composure, not to mention what was left of his dignity. He was sure that Jane and Darcy had heard everything, seeing that the bedroom door had been left open. He closed his eyes and turned away as more tears continued to pour out.

Thor hugged Loki tightly, and when he had pulled away, Thor frowned wanting to comfort him further but not really knowing how. He pulled the disheveled sheets up and around Loki to make him feel better, giving his shoulder a squeeze, Thor stated lightly, "Try to get some rest; I'll come back in a little bit to check on you, okay?" Thor figured Loki would want his space after what had just happened.

That was it? Loki sniffled, wiping his eyes and nose as he looked at Thor with searching, expectant eyes. As much as he had been grateful for the aftercare, something was still missing. Thor was just like Odin, he thought, watching his brother walk out into the hallway and shut the door. They both claimed to love him, but when it came to the moments when he really needed to be reminded of it, they only went part way in showing it. Loki frowned and rubbed at his bottom, throwing the sheet off him. He missed Frigga more than ever. He missed her tenderness, her caress, her gentle touch, the sweet songs she sang in his ear to comfort and relax him, the way she had stayed with him until he fell asleep. If Frigga had been there, she would have come in to see him during his grounding, to ask how he was getting along, if he was comfortable, if he was learning anything from it. She wouldn't have just dumped him there, only to see him at mealtimes. With more tears spilling out of his eyes, he reached over and picked up his special book from the nightstand. Hugging it to his chest, he flopped onto his stomach across the bed to stare at the wall.

Darcy feeling rather uncomfortable after witnessing one Norse god spank the other, called it a night shortly after. Once she'd left, Jane pulled out a cupcake that she'd planned to surprise Loki with and poured a glass of milk to chase it down for him. She padded to his door, knocking lightly. "Loki? Can I come in?"

Loki jumped at hearing the knock and Jane’s voice. He quickly took his thumb out of his mouth and wiped his nose with the sheet. He ran his hands through his hair to smooth it back, and then sat back against the headboard and pulled the covers around him.

“Yes,” he said, although it came out sounding more cracked and hoarser than he expected.

Jane opened the door slowly, carrying a small TV dinner tray with the glass of milk and the cupcake. She smiled a sympathetic smile his way. "I thought you could use some cheering up."

Loki gave a light shrug and looked down, idly playing at one of his fingernails.

Jane brought the tray over, proffering the goodies gently. “I got you a red velvet cupcake with cream cheese icing. You seemed to really like that flavor.”

Loki looked at the cupcake and milk and then up at Jane. “You brought this for me?”

Jane nodded in affirmation. “Of course I did, silly.” She settled the tray in front of him before sidling up to sit beside him. “I know you’ve had a rough week, so I thought a little something like this might make it not as bad.”

Loki put the book Frigga had given him on the bed beside him and accepted the tray.

“Thank you,” he said with a smile, before frowning. “'Rough' would be an understatement.”

Jane blew a strand of hair out of her face, nodding. “I can’t say I envy you. But at least after tonight, you only have one more day…then once you’re free to move about again, I was thinking we could all go—you, me, Thor, and Darcy since she’s on school break—to Six Flags…if that sounds like it’d be interesting to you that is. I know I briefly talked to you and Thor about it last week and all.” She shrugged. “I’m all caught up on work, so I figured we could get a hotel room and stay the night…you know, have some fun and get you out of the house. What do you think?”

Loki made a face at Jane’s suggestion. “I like the sound of getting out of the house, but do we have to go somewhere that’s so…crowded?"

Jane smirked as she joked, “Okay, then, what would you suggest, mister anti-social?”

He shrugged. “I don’t know.”

Jane rolled her eyes in mock annoyance. “Well, you’re no fun. I’ll tell you what, I’ll go grab my laptop, and we can poke around a bit to see if anything peaks your interest. How’s that sound?”

“Sure,” Loki said sullenly. “But if Thor is going it won’t be any fun, no matter where it is. He’ll just find some reason to punish me.”

Jane sighed at Loki’s melancholy attitude. “Thor is not that bad, Loki. We were all having a pretty good time for the first week you were here. It wasn’t until your little running away stunt did the fun times take a hiatus. It’s going to get better; you just have to get past this rough patch.”

Loki said nothing as he handed Jane his empty tray.

Seeing Loki was starting to pout, Jane took the tray and turned to leave as she stated exaggeratedly in hopes to peak Loki’s interest to go through with her plan to look up something fun for them to do. “Well, alright, if you’re going to become Eeyore on me, I guess we can all just stay here and do nothing.”

“You can bring your laptop and we shall look,” he said. Actually, staying at home and doing nothing sounded good to him, but he wasn't going to say that to Jane.

Jane seemed pleased with Loki’s answer as she turned to him giving him a big smile and a quick nod. “Okay, I’ll be right back.”

Jane was back a few minutes later with her laptop. She tapped on Loki’s leg. “Scoot over, and I’ll sit next to you, and we can browse the net.”

Loki gently scooted over to make room for her.

“Ow! Ow, ow…” He winced, moving one of the pillows under him. “Choose someplace that doesn’t have hard seats.”

Jane chuckled. “I’ll keep that in mind.” She booted the laptop up, and she proceeded to show Loki places to go in the area in hopes to find something he would see as interesting.

“Do you have any libraries?” Loki asked after several minutes of them poring over local attractions.

Jane’s smile broadened. “There are a few. I have a feeling I know one that might interest you. It’s a library and a museum. Some of the texts are hundreds of years old. Does that sound like what you’re looking for? Although I don’t think Thor will be too interested. Maybe just you and me, eh?”

Loki smiled, his eyes lighting up. “That sounds very interesting.” He looked at the laptop again. “Do you also have any…attractions…that involve horse riding?—or scenic views or nature?—or maybe animals? I've always wanted to learn more about Midgard animals.”

Jane brightened at seeing Loki finally enjoying himself. “I’m pretty sure we can find a few things along those lines. Thor will likely enjoy quite a few of those activities as well too.”

Loki wrinkled his nose at the mentioning of Thor and wanted to say something nasty, but he kept quiet. He liked Jane and respected her and Thor’s relationship, even though he couldn’t understand what she saw in him. “Yes, I’m sure he will…" he said instead, trying to keep his voice calm. "We’ve always done a lot of activities together that involve the outdoors. In fact, we did that very thing right before we came here. Thor took me to the secret place we used to play at when we were kids."

Jane nodded, knowing exactly what Loki was talking about. “Yes! Thor was telling me you two had a really nice time on some kind of outing with a cave and a river, I believe? He mentioned that you’d pushed him into the river. I would have loved to have seen that.” She grinned broadly at imagining the two brothers having a good time together versus the strained punishment they’d both been enduring the past few days.

Loki grinned, momentarily flushing and hoping Thor hadn’t told her about…all of their outing. Loki cleared his throat and decided to change the subject. “Yes, that place holds a lot of memories for us. Like the time I put a crayfish down his pants and he screamed like a little girl.”

Jane laughed out loud at the thought and she was about to say something more when a soft knock came on the door and Thor popped his head in the room. “Jane?”

Jane turned her attention to the door. “Hey, Thor!”

“Are you coming back out to watch a movie?” Thor seemed a bit jealous that Jane had been with Loki going on two hours.

Sensing Thor was getting lonely, Jane stood up, mussing Loki’s hair. “Alright, you, I’ll see you in the morning.” As she said this she gathered her computer from the bed, getting ready to leave.

Pain hit Loki when he realized Jane was going to leave him, and he searched for something that would keep her there longer.

“Um…before we go on our outing, you might want to get me some of your Midgard clothing so I can blend in better." He looked down at the tunic and pants he was wearing. "I know I’ve worn this out before, but…” He hesitated, “I don’t want to alarm anyone since I doubt that my…actions…in New York haven't been forgotten yet. It might be best that I dress to look like one of you mortals.”

Jane nodded her agreement. “That’s a good idea; we can go shopping the day after tomorrow and go on our outing this Friday.” She turned to Thor, seeing him still waiting on her. Jane placed a hand on Loki’s neck as she leaned over and pulled his head forward to plant a kiss on the top of his head. “Good night, Loki, I’ll see you in the morning.”

"Good night," Loki said in reply. He smiled as he watched Jane leave. Having nothing else to do, he got out of bed and went into the bathroom to take a shower and change into his pajamas. He spent the rest of the night reading until he was too sleepy to read anymore.


	11. Loki Supermodel

The next morning the smells of sizzling bacon could be heard popping as Thor knocked on Loki’s door. “Loki, come on out for breakfast,” Thor said through the door before the sound of his footsteps were heard heading back down the hall.

It took a few minutes, but Loki finally came out of his room and sauntered into the kitchen, still dressed in his pajamas. He gingerly sat down on his cushioned chair.

"Good morning," he said to Jane.

Jane had already poured Loki a glass of ice water and set a place for him as well as Thor who was sitting at the table across from him.

Jane brought the pan of bacon from the stove over to the table and separated the meats onto each plate. "Good morning to you, too, Loki. Did you sleep well?"

Loki squirmed in his seat. "As well as can be expected. I look forward to when I can start sleeping normally again." He gave Thor a silent, accusing look as if it were all his fault.

Thor paid Loki no heed, though, used to his brother's blaming most things on someone other than himself. He instead addressed Jane, "When we go to market tomorrow, you said we shall go to a place where the stalls are many?"

Jane giggled. "It's called a mall, Thor."

Loki rolled his eyes at Thor's ignorance.

Thor smiled at Jane. "Yes, I look forward to this venture."

Jane saw Loki's look of exasperation and had to let out a laugh. "It's going to be fun, I'm sure." She portioned out the rest of the food, sitting in the middle to join them now.

Loki kept quiet and ate his bacon. He didn't know why Thor had to come along. He had hoped to have a day alone with Jane, and maybe the both of them could stop by the library she had mentioned. He couldn't complain, though. At least he would finally be allowed to come out of his room for more than just to eat. That much he was looking forward to.

 

The last day of Loki's punishment went by rather uneventfully, and by the next morning, Jane was bustling about excitedly happy that the three could finally leave the house again.

Loki stood by the door, eagerly waiting for Jane to finish getting ready. Every so often, he glanced over at Thor seated on the couch. His brother had given him a lecture shortly after breakfast, telling him that he'd better behave from then on and all of that sort of stuff like he was a little kid. He ignored most of it and nodded just to get Thor to shut up. The only thing that registered in his mind was the part where Thor threatened more spankings if he failed to comply. And even then he had frowned distastefully at the threats after Thor had turned his back. He admitted that he had even considered running away again to try and find the portal that was still out there. But he decided not to, for the time being. He definitely didn't want a repeat of the past several days anytime soon.

The trickster exhaled loudly, shaking his head as he thought back on the moment and Thor trying to be a parent. He gave Thor one more dirty look and turned his attention to some knickknacks setting on a shelf hanging on the wall behind him. Even though he was now free of being confined to his room, he still felt trapped, like he was on a leash that was held by Thor. And this both annoyed and frustrated him greatly. He hated the feeling of not being able to do as he wished. Every time he tried, he got reined in by Thor's palm. As far as he was concerned, he was still confined. He discovered that the night he tried running away. He shuddered at remembering the spatula, and a twinge of pain shot through his still sensitive rear.

The doorbell rang, and Jane ran to get it revealing that it was Darcy who had also been invited to come along. Darcy walked inside, giving everyone an awkward wave as the rest of the group finished last minute preparations to head out the door.

“Alright, guys, I think we’re set! Let’s load up and roll out!” Jane said enthusiastically as she grabbed the van’s keys and everyone piled out.

Loki felt awkward and uncomfortable sitting next to Darcy in the backseat. He was still trying to figure out why Jane even invited her along. Not that he had anything against the girl (because he didn’t), but they were just going out to get him some different clothes. Darcy had been jabbering on about something or other ever since they stepped out of the house. Loki leaned over as far as he could and huddled next to the window, as if doing so enabled him to hide from her active mouth.

The mall, thankfully for Loki, was only about a ten-minute drive away.

Darcy kept staring at Loki as if she was dying to ask him something but was holding back. Instead, she blathered on about some place called Hot Topic she wanted to take them to shop.

Thor just seemed to be content staring out the window as they drove.

Jane noticed Loki had a sour look on his face, but she decided to wait to speak to him about it when they had a little more privacy, so she wouldn't embarrass him.

“Are we there yet?” Loki suddenly mumbled when Darcy finally stopped talking about Hot Topic.

As it was they were pulling into the mall parking lot, but the traffic was keeping them at a snail’s pace until they finally were able to get a spot to pull into. Of course, the time spent driving around the lot gave Darcy time to broach another mall topic on the varied clothing shops they could stop in that were currently having specials.

By the time they were all finally getting out of the car, Jane sidled up next to Loki giving his shoulder a bump as she spoke lightly, “Hey, I know she can get a bit…talkative, but she is really good at hounding out deals.”

“I just wish it could have been me and you,” he said with a shrug. "And...you know...we could go to the library afterward."

Jane was surprised by this admission, feeling touched even. “You’d want to hang out with just me? Well, maybe after we get done shopping and have lunch, I’ll bring Thor and Darcy back to the house and take you to the library. Sound good?”

Loki nodded, smiling. Then his smile dropped and his eyes turned to Thor. “Although I doubt Thor would allow me to go with you. He’ll probably say no, afraid I’ll try to get away again.”

“I’d say no to what, Loki?” Thor asked as he and Darcy moved to join the two of them.

Jane answered him, though, “Thor, Loki wants to go to the library with me after we’re done shopping. I told him I’d ask you for him. What do you say?”

Thor’s brow crinkled. He wasn’t really sure how he felt about it. Libraries weren’t really his thing, but he knew that Loki and Jane liked them very much. There was also the niggling worry that Loki would try something while it was only the two of them. Although Thor didn’t want to acknowledge it, there was also a hint of jealousy he now felt toward Loki spending so much ‘alone time’ with Jane. It wasn’t that he worried Jane was interested in Loki in that way, but the more time she was with him, the less time she was with Thor. Looking past that, Thor realized that this was likely good for Loki, he needed something to get him on a better path, and maybe Jane was helping him get there better than he was, and so he replied, “Let’s see how this trip fares, if all goes well, I think you both would have a grand time at the library.”

Loki was suddenly aware of Darcy walking beside him. Ignoring her, he turned to Thor.

“I’m not planning anything if that’s what you’re hinting at,” he said indignantly.

Thor held up his hands as though fending off an attack. “I did not say you were; are you feeling guilty, brother?” He had a hint of a smile on his face trying to get Loki to see he meant no real accusation.

“Perhaps,” he softly answered, glancing at Darcy out of the corner of his eye. “Among other things.”

Catching Loki glancing in her direction, Darcy lifted a brow. “What? Did I do something? It isn’t about that thing…from the other night and all, is it? I totally didn’t mean to peek, well sort of didn’t. I mean, you were yelling pretty loud, and well…yeah. Sorry.”

Loki closed his eyes, his cheeks turning slightly pink.

Darcy feeling like she’d made things worse merely muttered, “I said I was sorry.”

Jane spoke up to clear the tenseness that had filled the group, “How about we start our shopping at Macy’s? They’ve got a nice array of choices, eh? And look at that! They just happen to be the first store we’re coming to!” As she said this, she opened the door to usher everyone in, cutting her eyes at Darcy in a clear indication to shut her mouth already.

Darcy frowned, feeling like she was ruining the outing. “Geez, you know, it’s not my fault! I wasn’t the one...never mind. You know what, I’m going to head over to Hot Topic, you guys can come meet me there when you’re done here.” She moved past Thor and Loki, weaving through the crowd to make her way to the other side of the store.

Jane sighed as she watched her go, but she gave her the space she wanted. After all, Jane knew Darcy well enough to know when the girl wanted to blow off some steam to just let her be.

“I…I didn’t mean to make her upset,” said Loki.

Jane shook her head. “No, don’t worry about it. She’s not mad at you, she’s mad at herself. She didn’t mean to embarrass you, she’s just always been the type to speak her mind…sometimes a little too bluntly.”

Thor looked around the store confused. “I do not see any form of leathers or dress attire for men here.”

Jane sighed, she had wanted to shop at Macy’s, but she supposed there wasn’t really much in the way for them there. “You know what, let’s just head over to Old Navy instead.”

They did so, and Jane was bounding about the store, finding different clothes she fancied both men to wear hanging it in their hands as she spun through the racks.

Loki looked around him, completely confused although he tried desperately not to show it. During the times he’d been to Midgard, he’d never been shopping for clothes. He silently admitted that he didn’t know much about Midgard clothing, aside from the fact that he really liked scarves. He eyed the clothes in Jane’s arms, trusting that she knew what she was doing.

Once she’d loaded both men down with clothing, Jane had wanted them to try them on for her much to her excitement.

Thor didn’t share her enthusiasm, but he trundled back and forth from the changing room looking quite miserable.

Loki hesitated, still standing with his arms full of clothes as he watched Thor.

"You want me to try these on?—In there?" he said, looking down at his clothes. He lowered his voice. "Uh...is underwear required for this? Because I'm not wearing..." His voice trailed off and he cleared his throat when he realized what he was about to say to Jane. Again, his cheeks flushed pink. "Never mind."

Jane also turned red. “Uh, well, I’ll just go buy you some right quick, and, yeah, I’ll be right back!” Jane rushed off to a rack of boxers and picked some silky black ones that looked to be his size. I hope he likes these, she thought, still flushing from their recent conversation as she brought them back to him. “Will these do?”

Loki nodded, his face still showing a hint of redness. He quickly glanced around them to make sure no one was watching.

"Sorry," he said, his voice still low. "Certain articles you mortals consider important aren't that important to Asgardians."

She chuckled. “Not all us mortals feel that way, but the stores tend to appreciate it if you don’t…you know…put your junk on their merchandise.” She burst into laughter as the conversation hit new levels of awkward.

Thor was just coming out of the dressing room looking curious as to what was so funny.

Loki, on the other hand, looked really uncomfortable, not fully understanding, though having an idea of what she meant. Rather than question, he quickly walked forward and disappeared into one of the changing stalls. He dumped the armful of clothes on the bench and went to work taking off his tunic, boots, and pants. Feeling rather self-conscious now, he wasted no time slipping on the boxers. It was at this moment that he caught sight of his reflection in the mirror. He turned a little, admiring the silky article of clothing. He smiled, giving his butt a wiggle. Unlike Thor, Loki had always been particular about his appearance. He admitted that Midgard clothing wasn't half bad. Well, some of it wasn't, anyway. He reached to pick up a pair of jeans and put them on, along with a green t-shirt. He looked at himself in the mirror again, turning into a position to look at the back. The jeans were a rather snug fit, especially in the seat, but not so tight he couldn't wear them. He ran a hand down his leg and turned into another position. When he was satisfied with the choice Jane picked for him, he opened the stall door and stepped out for her to see.

Jane beamed, giving him a little clap enjoying that both men were being her live action Ken dolls to model outfits for her. “It looks great! Oh, spin for me!”

Thor was sitting in one of the chairs in front of the dressing rooms. He gave a nod of approval. “Not bad, Loki, not bad.”

Loki perked up at Jane's reaction, his lips curling into a smile. At her request, he turned his back to her.

"You think so?" he said to Thor.

Thor gave a joyful smile and a chuckle. “I do indeed.”

“Oh, I love it! Now try on the pinstripe pants and the vest!” Jane was about to burst at the seams.

Loki went back in, changed, and came out wearing the clothing Jane suggested.

"I don't know," he murmured. "The stripes don't really feel like me."

“What about these?” She held up a pair of black slacks.

“Sexy! Sexy!” Darcy’s voice broke from the right side of the store as she came walking in with three bags from various stores. “Dude, I waited over there for like an hour before coming back this way to find you…of course, I made a few stops on the way.” She held up the bags she was carrying.

Loki's smile widened as he looked down at the vest and back at Darcy. He reached out to take the pants Jane offered him, went back in, and came out within a minute wearing them.

Both the women were giving whistles and cat calling him while Loki modeled outfit after outfit while Thor groaned, slapping his hand over his face. This was going to be a long day for Thor.

By the time all was said and done, they spent five hours having the boys trying on clothes and ending their time at the mall, eight hundred dollars lighter, at the food court where they grabbed some pizza.

“Have you ever had pizza, Loki?” Darcy asked curiously.

"Yes." Loki nodded. "Jane had it for dinner the first night we arrived."

Darcy’s smile widened. “Now this is a true Earth masterpiece.”

Jane rolled her eyes, shaking her head. “Pizza tastes good, but it’s not cuisine, Darcy. You know you shouldn’t pass pizza off as the best Earth has to offer. Now, sushi,” Jane made a kiss to the air, “now THAT is an Earth masterpiece.”

Darcy wrinkled her nose. “Ew! No way! Raw fish is NOT fine dining.”

Loki eyed the girls in amusement and grinned over their food debate. For once, he was truly enjoying himself as he looked at the people around him. They had gone out of their way to include him in their activities and made him feel wanted. Even Thor was pleasant to be around, he thought as he silently studied his brother. He turned his eyes back to Darcy.

"You agree with me, don't you?" Darcy asked, catching that Loki was looking at her directly.

"Uh, yeah, I do!" He nodded and smiled. "Although it needs bacon."

Jane laughed. "What is it with you and bacon?"

Loki shrugged like he didn’t quite understand why she had asked the question. “This conversation is about favorite foods, right? I like Midgardian breakfast meats.” He looked at Darcy and then back to Jane, grinning and giving a wink. “Bacon is fine dining.”

Both of the women laughed in unison now, and Jane added, "Yes, Loki, if given the chance, you'd eat it every day I personally know!"

Thor had to add his two cents, "I do have to agree with Loki, bacon is a mighty fine food."

Loki looked at Thor then turned to Jane again. “Um…Jane. There’s something I’ve been pondering over.”

"Oh? What's that, Loki?" Jane asked, but everyone at the table was looking at him now.

He glanced at Thor and Darcy before addressing Jane. “What’s an Eeyore?” His face looked confused as he asked the question. “The other night you said I was being an Eeyore. I’ve never heard of that Midgardian word.”

Darcy laughed. "Oh, my gosh, Jane, did you just nickname a Norse god after a Winnie the Pooh character?"

Jane blushed, not having thought anything of the comparison when she'd originally mentioned it to Loki. She paused trying to approach the term delicately. "Well, I was referring to the unhappy state you were in the night before, it...it kinda reminded me of that character's outlook on life. It's...it's hard to explain; you're just going to have to see him for yourself one day."

“Oh.” Loki slowly nodded.

Jane reached out to touch his hand. “It was only in jest that I said it, not as an insult.” Jane felt the need to reassure him.

Darcy smiled, mimicking Eeyore, “Oh, bother, Jane,” before she laughed again and turned to Loki, “If it’s any consolation, I’m an Eeyore fan. He’s cool in my book.”

Thor looked just as confused as Loki now.

Loki smiled, even though he still failed to understand the joke. “If it’s in jest, then I can appreciate it.” His smile turned into a full grin, turning back to Jane. “Although I can’t understand why people can call me names in jest, but when I say Thor eats like a pig I get threatened with a spa—” He stopped and looked around at everyone, nervously tapping his fingers on the table. “Well, you know...” He was immediately sorry he brought up the subject again. The day's events had helped to take his mind off it, and now their talk had come back around to the touchy subject once again.

Darcy giggled knowing where Loki was going. “I guess the context of your words help to dictate the manner in which the people around you are going to take them. When you’re being a mean spirited little brat, well, I gather you know where that’s going to get you!”

Thor simply nodded as if this were sage advice while Jane chose to avoid touching the subject with a thirty-foot pole.

Loki frowned at Darcy then to Thor. He could feel his anger rising, but he fought to keep himself calm. He didn’t want to risk making a scene in the middle of the food court. “I’m not a brat,” he said softly.

Darcy’s smile grew. “Sure you’re not. It’s okay, Loki. We still love you.”

Jane interjected, seeing Loki was starting to get upset; she looked down at her watch, “Oh! Look at the time! Okay, guys, I promised Loki we’d try to make it to the library before the day’s end, and I want to get a shower before we go, so let’s go ahead and get moving, shall we?”

Thor and Darcy both shifted their attention to Jane, giving nods as everyone started gathering their bags and picking up their trash to get ready to go.

Loki eagerly helped with the bags, excited about finally getting to go to the library. Suddenly he stopped in the middle of picking up a bag to look at everyone in turn. They still loved him despite everything?

Thor noticed Loki looking over at him and simply gave him a warm smile as he finished getting his bags together.

Jane gave him a nudge, beaming at him. “I know you’re looking forward to getting a bit of quiet time at the library. You look happy, and that makes me happy.”

"It does?" He smiled.

She laughed, giving his arm a small punch. “Of course it does, silly.”

Loki continued smiling as he followed Jane and the others out of the mall.


	12. A Trip to the Library

Back at Jane’s apartment, Loki walked out of his room dressed in his new jeans, T-shirt, and tennis shoes. He walked into the living room and saw that Jane hadn’t come out of the shower yet, so he joined Thor and Darcy.

“How do I look?” He smiled, walking into the center of the room.

“Why look at you! Woot woot!” Darcy wiggled her eyebrows playfully at Loki. “Looking good there, God of Mischief!”

Thor laughed at Darcy’s commentary. “It suits you well, brother. It’s very, Midgardian.”

“Thanks…I think…”

Jane came out a few minutes later dressed and ready to go; she smiled, looking down at Loki sitting on the couch talking with Darcy and Thor,. “Well, you’re looking comfortable. Are you about ready?”

“Yes!” Loki stood up, putting his hands behind his back. “I’m ready.” He glanced at Thor as if expecting another lecture.

Much to Loki’s surprise, Thor merely commented, “I hope the two of you enjoy yourselves.”

Jane and he shared a kiss before she and Loki said their goodbyes and headed back out to the van to go to the aforementioned library.

Loki slouched down in his seat and propped his feet up on the dashboard. He remained quiet as he pondered over the fact that Thor had actually allowed him to go with Jane, and did so without lecturing him like a child. He thought for sure that he would at least get some sort of warning or threat not to run away again.

A mischievous smirk suddenly formed on his lips. It would be so easy to get away from Jane, he thought. He looked over at her, the smirk immediately fading. How could he do it, though? She’d been so nice to him and they’d had such a good time. Making another attempt to get away would make her sad, and he didn’t want to make her sad. He didn’t know why. Something about her made him feel calm and secure—the way he had felt when he used to be near Frigga. Not to mention, there was that other thing, too. If Thor ever caught up with him, he’d get a worse spanking than he got before. Although Loki wasn’t sure how much worse it could get. He absently ran his hands down the backs of his thighs and rubbed at the underside of his rear, remembering the sting of the spatula. Jane looked over at him, first at what his hands were doing then up at him. Loki met her eyes for a few seconds and then turned to look out at the passing scenery.

“A penny for your thoughts?” she asked curiously.

Loki’s face went a little pale. He couldn’t possibly tell her what he’d been thinking. And for some reason, he didn't want to lie to her.

He turned to face her. "Why do you insist on being nice to me?"

She cocked her head to the side giving him a questioning look as they pulled into the library parking lot. “What do you mean why? Why wouldn’t I? Don’t you like it when someone is nice to you?”

“Yeah, of course,” he said. “But…not very many people usually are. It’s just…sort of new to me—to actually be wanted. After everything I’ve done, you still insist on being nice as if I hadn't done anything. If it was anyone else they would have ignored me, pushed me away, and thrown insults—or dragged me through the streets in chains.”

Jane’s heart broke to hear Loki say such things about himself. She’d placed the van in park as Loki had spoken, and now she found she couldn’t help but to reach over and caress his cheek to comfort him. “You know so much pain, Loki, and for that I’m sorry. Everyone needs to know they are wanted and loved, and you strike me as someone who’s constantly in battle with himself to find that love.”

Loki leaned into the caress as he contemplated her words and sadly searched her eyes. Then he pulled away.

"The last one who truly loved me was Mother, but she's gone now."

Jane studied him a moment before responding softly, “I’m sorry. I know her death hit Thor pretty hard, too; I can imagine you must miss her dearly.”

Loki remained silent a few minutes. When he spoke again his voice sounded watery. "More than you know."

She reached out to squeeze his hand gently in consolation as they just shared a moment of silence.

Loki turned to Jane again. "I said some pretty bad things to her the last time I saw her. I wish I could take them back."

She grimaced in understanding. “I’m sure she knows you didn’t mean them.”

He gave a slight nod and sighed. He didn't want to feel sad now, not today. He wanted it to be a fun day, especially after the horrible first of the week.

Sensing Loki's need to move on, Jane gave his hand another squeeze. "We're here. Are you ready to go inside?"

Loki smiled. "Yes! Let's go."

Jane smiled back. "Well, come on then!"

The two of them continued on to the library, and once she paid their entrance fee, Jane proceeded to show Loki some of her favorite exhibits in the museum section of the library.

Loki was a totally different person once he got inside, Jane came to find out. He enjoyed looking at the exhibits and constantly asked her questions. Once he saw everything to be seen, he spent several hours poring over books on every subject. Eventually, he settled in a remote corner of the library, books piled around him.

It started getting late, and knowing the library was due to close soon, Jane left Loki reading and traveled to the gift store. Having taken a gander at what he had chosen to pore over, Jane decided to surprise him and found one of the reprinted ancient tomes that the library sold to support the museum half of the building. The book depicted an array of architectural designs from Galileo which Jane had noted Loki seemed most interested in history and inventions, so she hoped her present would please him.

It was a few minutes after Jane left when Loki finally looked up from his current book to see she was gone. At first, he wondered where she was, but then figured she had gone off to look at the exhibits again or was in another area of the library. He stretched and closed his book. And that’s when his eyes drifted over to the library doors that led out into the main entry hall. With Jane nowhere to be seen, it would be easy for him to simply walk out. Being at the library put him closer to the portal's location than he had been when he made his first attempt. He could still carry out his plans to go to one of the other realms and hide there. He was just a short distance away from being free of Thor’s hold on him. And he wasn't drugged up on Jane's infernal medicine this time.

He smiled mischievously as he got up from his chair and walked forward. But then he stopped halfway and hesitated. His thoughts went to Jane again and what she would say and think if she found out he had used this opportunity to disobey and run away. It would hurt her, and he didn’t want to hurt her. And what would Thor say if he found out that he had gotten away while in Jane’s care? Why did he even care what Jane thought? Loki stood there and studied the doors, thinking. He was actually happy when he was near Jane, and he didn't really want to leave just yet. To give him more to think on, the fresh memory of pain prickled over his rear, sending alarm bells throughout his body and reminding him what would happen if Thor ever caught up with him, which was a high possibility since Heimdall would know which realm he went into. Besides, it was getting late and he was getting tired and hungry. He wasn’t properly prepared either since he had left his Asgardian clothes at Jane’s house.

Finally, Loki turned and walked back to sit down in his chair again, picking up another book and opening it.

Jane found Loki where she'd left him, and she thought he looked so peaceful there reading that she didn't want to disturb him. But the library was getting ready to close, so she approached him now, smiling softly. "Hey, you, I hate to interrupt, but we’ve got to get going."

Loki looked up at her, a bit startled since he hadn’t heard her approach.

“Uh…okay.” He picked up several books and stacked them up on the edge of the table. “These are the ones I want to check out.”

She nodded. “I suppose we’d better get you a library card. But for now, we can use mine since I doubt Asgard is a valid address for their system.” She gave him a soft chuckle as she smiled at her own joke.

He smiled back, looking a bit tired. “I don’t see why I would need one since we won’t be staying here…that long…” The reality of what he was saying suddenly hit him.

Jane’s brow furrowed as she saw the touch of sadness in his eyes. “Well, Thor didn’t say how long you two would stay, but it will be at least one more week, so you might be able to read them. Besides, I can always renew it if you want to take them with you and return them once you come back to visit again.”

Loki nodded. “Let’s go, then.”

One more week? Loki’s heart fell at hearing that. He had to think of some way to make them stay longer. Maybe if he talked to Thor, he could persuade him to stay past a week.

The two made their way to the front counter, and Jane used her library card to check out the books Loki had collected. When they both had made it to the van and loaded up, Jane pulled the wrapped bag containing the book she’d purchased out of her book bag. “So, uh, I thought you might get a kick out of this." She handed the paper bag to Loki. “If it isn’t your cup of tea, I can always return it for something different,” she added, almost nervous he would not like her gift.

Loki took the book out of the bag and grinned, glancing over at Jane.

“You got this for me?” He began flipping through it. “Thank you. I love it.”

She breathed a sigh of relief. “Oh, good! I was worried I may have read you wrong and that you might not like it.” She was pleased to see the smile on his face as she kicked the car in gear, backing out of the parking spot and heading back towards her apartment.

Loki ran his fingers over the book’s cover as they drove home. He was suddenly glad that he chose not to walk out of the library. Not because Jane had given him the book, but because she obviously cared enough about him to get him a gift.

“You really didn’t have to do this,” he said after several minutes of silence.

She chuckled. “Of course, I didn’t have to, but I wanted to. I know how much you like to read, so it was an obvious choice really.” She looked away from the road long enough to give him a short wink and a broad smile.

He smiled a genuine smile back at her and then settled back in his seat. He yawned and turned to look out the window.

It had been a long, but good, day, and as such both seemed content to just ride in silence the short distance to the house. As they got out of the car and headed into the apartment Jane said, “I’m going to go ahead and start dinner; anything, in particular, you’re craving…other than bacon?”

“No,” he said and laughed. “Just fix whatever you want to.” He glanced at Thor in the living room. “I’m going to go put these books away and change into some more clothes.”

Without saying another word, Loki disappeared down the hallway and into his room. He shut the door, walked over to the bed, and put his bundle of books down. He put the special one Jane gave him on the night table, on top of his book from Frigga. After changing into some comfortable lounge clothes he’d gotten earlier that day, he walked into the living room.

“Thor, you should have seen that place,” Loki said as he plopped down on the couch next to his brother. “Tons of Midgardian books on every subject. And the exhibits were also very interesting.”

Thor smiled. “I trust then that you two had quite the time. I’m glad to hear it, Loki. I was beginning to get bored as Darcy left a couple hours ago, and I was left with this all cooking show.” Thor grimaced in obvious distaste, not wanting to admit that he hadn’t the slightest clue how Jane operated the three different remotes to turn her TV, cable, and DVD player to different channels.

Loki rolled his eyes, snatched the remote off Thor’s lap, and changed the channel.

“There,” he said as he tossed the remote back at Thor. "But, yes, the trip was wonderful. I even brought some books home with me."

Thor seemed elated that Loki had put on a football game. He wasn’t overly familiar with all the details, but it reminded him of battle, so it appealed to him. “Thank you!” Thor turned towards Loki now as he continued to tell him of his adventures with Jane, and although books may not have been much of an interest to Thor, he was pleased to hear Loki was happy. “It’s good to see you smile again, brother. Today has been a good day.”

Loki stopped and stared at Thor’s face, and then gave a slight nod, smiling again.

"Yes, it has," he agreed as he settled back against the couch. He wanted to still be angry at Thor, but he couldn’t find it within him at that moment.

Thor cocked his head looking towards the kitchen. “I was thinking, Loki, if Jane would be pleased by it, perhaps Odin would see fit to have her visit our realm as we visit hers. Do you think that an unwise suggestion?”

Loki’s face showed distaste at Thor’s mentioning of the All-Father. “I think it’s a wonderful idea, but do you think Odin will allow it? He didn’t seem pleased the last time she was there.”

“The last time she was there, there was also extenuating circumstances. Either way, it wouldn’t hurt to ask,” Thor mused.

Jane called out to them then, “Alright, boys, dinner is ready! It’s nothing fancy, but it’s late, so you’ll have to forgive me.” She had thrown together a quick meal of chili dogs knowing how much Thor ate and hoping the pork satisfied Loki.

“You know we’d have to take Darcy, too,” said Loki. Then he smirked. “I could always sneak the two in.”

Thor frowned. “Sneaking them in will not bode well especially if the All-Father were to discover the deception. Are you trying to get Father to set a fire to both of our rumps?”

Loki’s smile fell and he squirmed uncomfortably. He kept quiet, not having anything else to say on the matter. When Thor wasn’t looking he couldn’t help smiling in amusement over the thought of Thor getting spanked.

Jane called out, “Are you guys coming?”

As if he’d forgotten she’d called, Thor turned towards the kitchen. “We are on our way, Jane!” He stood, regarding Loki. “We can discuss this more later, but no deception, okay?”

Loki said nothing but instead gave a tiny smirk.

By the time the two were walking into the kitchen, Jane was setting down the last glass of soda and taking a seat.

“So what outing are we going to go on next?” Loki asked excitedly, sitting down at the table. He was glad to be able to sit down at Jane's table without the use of a pillow for once. He was still slightly sore, but the majority of the pain had faded over the past few days.

Jane finished a bite of hot dog looking to Thor. “Well, I was talking to Thor, and since you and I were interested in nature, I was thinking we could go up to the state park and have a night or two camping, star gazing, I don’t know, does that sound fun to you?”

Loki's eyes lit up and he grinned. "Yeah! Sounds perfect. Maybe I can push Thor into the river again."

Thor's face deadpanned. "As long as we refrain from repeating other aspects of that trip."

Jane seemed curious. "Oh? What's that?"

Thor just glanced at Loki. "He knows quite well what I'm speaking of."

Loki nervously glanced at Jane and then looked down at his plate, suddenly finding his food highly interesting. He gave Thor a warning look for him to keep his mouth shut.

Thor just snorted at Loki's glare, and Jane didn't ask having already guessed what may have happened from the two's exchange.

The rest of the conversation and dinner went well after the subject was quickly changed. Later that night, Loki lay in bed and read and thought about things, mainly what Thor had said about Jane coming to Asgard. He doubted the All-Father would give permission for them to bring her and Darcy there. Nice thought, but there was no way he'd ever allow it. He was just that stubborn—like Thor. Both were just alike in having heads made out of rock. Snorting and rolling his eyes, Loki focused his attention back on his book. Then his thoughts drifted to their outing. He hoped everything went well with it and that it wouldn't turn out like the last one he and Thor had before coming to Midgard. If he could just get through it without any embarrassing and humiliating stuff happening, it would be great.


	13. Camping Trip of Horror

The next morning they got up early and began packing after breakfast. Darcy had the week off from school, so she had asked to join them when she'd shown up for breakfast that morning. By 10am everything and everyone was packed and ready to go. The campsite was about two hours away, so they drove about half way before stopping to eat and were pulling into the state forest by early afternoon.

Darcy had spent most of the ride gabbing about nothing of much interest to Loki, but he had enough books to tune her out for the drive.

"We're almost there, guys!" Jane seemed excited to bring her friends to this particular park since it had a lot of activities for all of them to spend the next couple days doing.

Loki rolled his eyes upward at the ceiling, silently relieved. He wanted to say something out loud, but decided not to, glancing over at Thor.

Thor seemed more than ready to exit the van, sitting up straight and leaning forward to get a good look around as they rumbled down the rocky dirt road. Jane left them in the car while she purchased a campsite for the next three nights deciding to get one that the four could hike to since she was sure Thor and Loki were likely not going to appreciate being too close to other campers. Besides, their cooler had wheels, and Thor was quite strong. She doubted there would be any issues getting it there out of maybe Loki and Darcy complaining about the trek. She’d cross that bridge when they got to it Jane decided.

Getting back in the car, she announced, “Alright, guys, we need to drive up this road, and then we’re going to have to hoof it for about a half mile trek to get to our campsite. The park officials said that the trail is well grated, so we shouldn’t have too much trouble although, with all of our gear, we might want to make two trips.”

"You've got to be kidding!" Loki said irritably. "I'm not going to carry this stuff for a half a mile!"

Thor’s mouth was a tight line as he spun back around to face Loki. “You will help us carry the supplies to the campsite, and I don’t want to hear you complain the whole way about it. We will manage, Loki.”

Darcy huffed. “I’m not really a big fan of walking all this crap up there either, honestly. I mean, a half mile? That’s a bit extreme, isn’t it?”

Jane rubbed at her temples thinking that this wasn’t a very good start to their trip. “Hey, guys…guys! Relax, okay? It’s really not as far as it sounds. I only got us this far off campground, so that we’d have a little bit of privacy. We can’t bring the van that far into the forest, but the campsites where we can park are literally right next to each other…I was kind of thinking the whole getting away from it all would be appreciated a little more actually away from it all.”

Loki had jumped at Thor’s outburst, but for the most part, he chose to ignore his brother, still not liking the thought of carrying stuff a half a mile twice. He thought this was going to be an enjoyable outing. It sure wasn’t turning out that way.

“Why do you mortals have to carry so much stuff with you anyway? If we were going camping in Asgard you would have a blanket and a bag for food and that’s all.”

Thor grunted, “That’s because you never had to carry the majority of the other supplies, Loki. Worry not; you’ll not be burdened with too much for your delicate frame to contend with.”

Darcy couldn’t help giggling at Loki’s indignation. “It sucks, dude, but it’s not that bad.”

Loki huffed and leaned back in his seat.

Darcy rolled her eyes. “Big baby.”

“Darcy!” Jane chided as the more time these two spent together the more they seemed to get on each other’s nerves.

Thor’s brow crinkled unsure how to approach this new development as he looked between the two and back to Jane for guidance.

Jane was getting frustrated herself as she laid a hand on her forehead just trying to concentrate on getting to the parking area. Maybe once everyone was out of the van and able to stretch, their attitudes would improve.

Loki glared at Darcy. “I’m _not_ a baby.”

“Sure could have fooled me,” Darcy gruffed.

“All right!” Jane slammed the breaks, spinning around to address the two. “Do we really need to turn this van around and go home?”

"I'm sorry, Jane," said Loki. "I've been cooped up in this thing for hours with Darcy over here making my ears numb with her endless prattle. And now she calls me an infant just because I complain about having to carry baggage a half mile, which I really don't feel like doing after this ride."

It was Thor’s turn to turn around, clear annoyance etched on his face. “What did I tell you about complaining, Loki? We haven’t even started walking, and you’re already whining. Do I need to roast your seat to help remind you how I feel about your continuous cranky attitude?”

Loki held Thor's gaze a few seconds before nervously glancing at Darcy and then turning his gaze to his lap, his cheeks flushing. He slowly slid his hands under him.

"No..." he replied.

Thor took in a deep inhale of breath. “Good. Try not to make things so difficult for Jane.” He turned his glare on Darcy now. “And you’re not helping the situation.”

Darcy’s eyes widened as her head hit the back of the seat obviously nervous that Thor might decide to take her in hand if his glare said anything. “Done!”

Jane just exhaled her exasperation and jerked the car back into motion driving a little faster than was the speed limit in an effort to just get where they were going. She was relieved that they were less than a mile away and swung the van into park in an exaggerated arch, stopping the van with a lurch. 

“Finally! Okay, guys. We’re here. Let’s take a minute to get out and stretch, then we can get all the gear out of the car.”

Not saying a word, Loki got out of the van as quickly as possible, grateful to finally be free of his confinement. And here he thought the prison cell back on Asgard was bad. He shot Thor an angry scowl and walked as far away from the group as he could, taking care to stay within Thor's sight lest he anger his royal highness, and stopped. He took a deep breath and inhaled the fresh air to clear his thoughts. The place was beautiful and peaceful. Not as beautiful and peaceful as the secret place he and Thor knew of, but close. If only he was free to enjoy it alone, he thought. He looked behind him to see Darcy, Jane, and Thor dragging stuff out of the van and piling it on the ground beside it. He sighed and stuffed his hands in the pockets of his jeans.

It hadn’t taken too long for the three of them to pull most of the gear from the van. Deciding they’d need another trip to get the coolers and other miscellaneous supplies, Jane left them in the van to retrieve on the next trip.

“Loki, come take this tent and bedroll,” Thor instructed, holding the items up for him.

Jane and Darcy grabbed their own bedrolls along with a few other bags to cart on the first trip.

Loki looked exasperated, hesitating at first. Then he turned and walked over to Thor. He remained silent, although the look he gave Thor more than made up for whatever vile words he could come up with as he jerked the items out of Thor's hands.

"Can you hand me my knapsack, please?" he said, his voice sounding like he was barely containing his temper.

Thor did hand Loki his backpack, and as Loki spun about to leave, Thor grabbed his bicep and planted five hard swats on his retreating backside before releasing him once more. “I said drop the attitude, Loki. I’ve grown quite weary of the behavior you’re exhibiting. Do not test me as you know I have no compunction to stop right here and now to help correct your behavior.”

The women, who had been loading up themselves, merely watched the incident before glancing at each other awkwardly and trying not to look directly at Loki, even though he had to have known they’d seen the display quite well.

Darcy just mumbled under her breath, “Saw that one coming. Wonder if he can make it the half mile without getting an over-the-knee trip.”

Loki staggered forward, away from Thor, his mouth hanging open in shock and his face turning red. He struggled to keep his hold on the items in his arms. He wanted to rub out the sting Thor put in his rear, but he couldn't free a hand to do it. So instead, he ran on ahead, fearing what Thor might do if he lingered any longer. Plus he couldn't bring himself to face Jane and Darcy. He couldn't understand why Thor had done that. He hadn’t said anything, except ask him to hand him his personal baggage. Loki stopped when he had run far enough away from the group. He juggled the things in his arms, finally freeing a hand to use for rubbing. It had only been five swats, but five swats coming from Thor was enough to smart for a good while.

Thor, Jane, and Darcy let him get ahead, but they were quickly closing the distance from where Loki stopped.

Thor gave him a look that said he meant business as he walked ahead of the women to sidle up next to Loki. “Walk with me, Loki,” he instructed before continuing on at a brisk pace.

A worried look washed over Loki's face and a chill inched down his spine. He really didn't like the sound of that. He wondered what he had done to make Thor so mad. So what if he was in an irritable mood? Everyone was expected to be cranky sometimes. Besides, everything that happened had been Darcy's fault. Getting a better grip on the items in his hands, Loki ran ahead to catch up with Thor. He remained quiet as he came up beside his brother and struggled to keep pace with him.

Thor took a moment before looking back at his brother tiredly. “I want you and me to walk together. Let Darcy and Jane walk together, and perhaps with the two of you not in close proximity it will make the walk more bearable for everyone involved.”

Loki visibly relaxed. And so did his butt.

“Jane is not the problem,” he said. “Darcy got on my nerves. And I don't understand why you felt need to swat me back there. I can't help it if I become irritable from one mortal's constant talking. Everyone gets cranky sometimes."

"I already told you that I'll not put up with an attitude from you, and you've done nothing but have an attitude since we left the restaurant. I get that you and Darcy are not the best of friends, but you need to learn to deal with those feelings if not for your own sake then for Jane's because the both of you are ruining the trip for her." Thor glanced back to see Darcy and Jane trudging along behind them in silence obviously still agitated from the drive.

Thor’s words hit Loki. He turned to look back at Jane. He hadn’t meant to ruin the trip for her. Turning back around, he silently looked at Thor.

Thor didn't make much conversation as they walked. By the time the four were reaching the designated campgrounds, everyone seemed quiet and lost in their own thoughts. 

Jane and Darcy walked up to join the men as they discussed the best direction to take, "We can go down the mountain side, the river is near the bottom, or we can pick a spot closer to the porta potty and water spigot locations on the map here." Jane pointed to the map given to her at the park station.

Loki shrugged. “Doesn’t matter to me.”

Darcy spoke up then, "Well, I vote for bathrooms and running water.

Jane nodded to that fact. "Yeah, that sounds good."

Thor shrugged. "We can do whatever the women prefer."

Loki dropped everything but his knapsack and sat down on the ground. "Good. We can rest, then."

Jane smirked. "Well, we do still need to walk to find a campsite, but there isn't much left at the van, Thor and I can grab it, and let you and Darcy start with setting up the tents."

Loki turned and opened his mouth to say something, but he caught a look from Thor and decided not to.

“I never knew there was so much involved with Midgard camping,” he mumbled.

Darcy, hearing Loki, stated, "Yeah, that's what happens with over population...I'm not a big fan of camping in these places, but I guess the convenience of running water and toilet paper makes it worth it." 

Loki slowly looked up at her. Sighing, he stood up. "So what are we supposed to do, exactly?"

“Camp, duh.” Darcy shook her head.

Jane just sighed at Darcy. “They have plotted out areas that have fire pits and places to set up our tents, so, we just head towards this area on the map, and we pick a spot. Come on, we’ll be able to find a spot pretty easily from here.” Jane went back to looking at the map and veering in the direction it pointed until the four of them found a suitable camp spot.

“What do you guys think of this one?” Jane asked when they came upon the first site the map led them to. It was barren and looked overused, but other than that fine for use.

Loki didn’t understand why they had to go through such pains to find a suitable spot for camping. Back on Asgard they just set up camp wherever there was a usable water source. Mortals were odd and picky. But Loki kept quiet.

Thor shrugged, thinking very similarly to what Loki was feeling and also refrained from commenting more than a shrug.

Taking that as an affirmative, Jane said, “Okay then…I guess this is it.” She went to work pulling out the tents then. “Alright, guys, we’ve got two tents that you two can get to work setting up. You’re going to need each other’s help to set them up, is that going to be a problem, or can you guys work together long enough to put together a couple tents?”

Darcy snorted. “Yeah, Jane, I think we can handle putting some tents together without you two. Go ahead and grab the rest of the stuff, we got this.”

Thor lifted an eyebrow in Loki’s direction as a warning but didn’t comment as he walked toward Jane, getting ready to head back to the van.

"Wait a minute...Two tents?" said Loki, alarmed. "Where is Darcy going to sleep?"

Jane groaned not really wanting to go over this since when Darcy had originally decided to come along, she and Loki hadn’t been at each other’s throats. “Uh…well, we only had two tents, and I had assumed Thor and I would share one, and you and Darcy would share one. They are two man tents and all…”

“WHAT??” Loki’s voice rose. “You expect me to share a tent with _her_?!?”

Darcy seemed just as shocked as her jaw dropped open. “No. Way!”

Jane just took in a deep breath letting it out slowly. “Come on, guys, we’re only going to be here three nights, you guys can’t get along for three nights? I mean, you’re not going to have to sleep in the same bedroll or anything! It’ll just be a little tight.”

Loki stared daggers at Darcy. He had had enough of her talking on the ride there. He couldn't imagine spending three nights that close to her. What if she snored? What if she talked in her sleep?

Loki wrinkled his nose in disgust. "Three nights? With her?" He turned pleading eyes to Thor. "Thor!"

Thor held his hands up. “Don’t look to me, brother. Jane made the arrangements unless you wish to sleep next to me.” Thor was a horrible snorer Loki knew, and any time the two had tried to sleep in close vicinity it ended with Loki not sleeping at all.

Jane was looking miserable now as her trip was turning into an epic failure. “I…I didn’t think you guys were going to have this much trouble getting along...maybe we should just go home.” She said this last bit with a strong intonation of sadness.

Darcy elbowed Loki, giving him a glare for upsetting Jane. “No, don’t worry about it, Jane, you’re right, it’s only a few days…we most likely won’t kill each other in three days.”

Loki jerked his arm away from Darcy and took a few steps to the side.

“No, Thor, I do not wish to sleep next to you,” he said, “unless you want a pillow stuffed in your mouth.” He sighed miserably, looking over at Darcy. “Fine, I’ll bunk with Darcy.”

Thor gave Loki a dirty look but didn’t respond to Loki’s remark.

Jane seemed to lighten a bit that the two had agreed to share the space for the remainder of the trip. “Thanks, guys. Hopefully, things will calm down a bit once we get unpacked and settled. Thor and I will be back in an hour or so, if you’re having trouble setting the tents up, we can help you when we get back.”

Darcy waved her off as Thor and Jane started walking back to the van. “Pfft! How hard can setting up a couple tents be?”

When Jane and Thor had disappeared from sight, Loki turned a silent, annoyed look to Darcy.

She returned his glare with one of her own. “Alright, let’s just get this over with already!” She stormed over to where Jane had taken out the tents muttering under her breath about the fact she was going to have to room with the brattiest Asgardian ever.

“How do we put this thing up?" said Loki, putting his hands on his hips and walking over to stand beside Darcy. "Since you mortals seem to have something against truly roughing it.”

Darcy rolled her eyes. “Like you really ‘rough it’ please! Just help me fold out the canvas, then we can work on getting the tent poles together.”

Loki huffed. "Thor and I have roughed it quite a few times." He grabbed hold of the tent canvas and roughly began unfolding it.

“Suuuure you have,” Darcy exaggerated her words as she took the other half of the tent to help splay it out evenly. She then grabbed the tent poles beginning to fasten them together. “Alright, we need to run this sticky thing through those fabric holes to the other side. You’re going to have to help keep the tent steady while I push it through, do you think you can handle that?”

"Of course, I can," Loki replied, struggling to hold his temper. He glanced at her again. "By the way, you have a spider on your shoulder."

Darcy jumped a foot off the ground, letting out a shrill scream. “Oh, my gosh! Where is it? Get it off!” She ran around frantically as she swatted invisible insects off of her skin.

Loki doubled over with laughter. "I could never get Thor to fall for that one," he said in between catching his breath.

Darcy, realizing she’d been had, stomped her foot. “Ohh! You big jerk!” She narrowed her eyes, snatching the tent pole back up as she huffed. “You’d better be nice to me because payback…let’s just say, I’ll get you back, and you’ll be sorry.” She said this last bit with a hint of satisfaction as her eyes darted to Loki as a clear indication of ‘go ahead and try me if you dare!’

A playful smile played across Loki's lips, his eyes sparkling with mirth. Maybe this trip wouldn't be so bad after all, he thought.

"Ooo, and what are you going to do? What tricks could you possibly play..." He took a step toward her, "on a trickster?"

Her smile widened as she lifted an eyebrow. “Oh, wouldn’t you like to know? If I told you, it’d ruin the shock and surprise of it, wouldn’t it? I guess you’ll just have to find out now, won’t you?”

Loki continued to grin as he picked up and held the tent for her. "Just keep in mind that you're playing against a master."

Darcy rolled her eyes. “Don’t go overboard now, or I’ll have to tell Thor on you, and we both know where that will lead.” She looked up and smiled evilly at him knowing that thought would bother Loki immensely, just mentioning him having the possibility of getting a spanking.

Loki’s grin quickly faded. He nervously looked around at the branches on the surrounding trees and then back to Darcy.

“Y-you wouldn’t…”

Darcy smirked, nodding her head. “Just try me.”

Loki looked Darcy up and down, trying to decide whether or not she was bluffing. Finally, he turned back to the tent.

“Let’s get this done.”

Darcy smiled triumphantly. “Let’s.” They ran the poles through the tent and other than directions here and there worked in silence to erect the first tent and then the second. Standing back and admiring their handiwork, Darcy nodded. “Not bad, not bad. You’re not useless after all.”

Loki frowned at Darcy, looking hurt. He wasn’t sure if this trip was turning out to be good or bad. One thing was for sure. He wasn’t looking forward to spending three nights in the same tent with her. He would have rather bunked with Jane. At least she, out of all of them, actually cared for him.

Sighing, Loki laid down on the grass, turning over on his side and refusing to look at Darcy.

Seeing Loki's reaction, Darcy sighed, feeling slightly bad. "Oh, don't be like that. I don't really think you're useless."

He rolled over on his back and looked up at the girl. With a slight smile, he reached over and pulled his knapsack closer to him and reached in and pulled out a book.

Darcy was about to say something more when Thor and Jane came strolling back into camp. “See, I told you they wouldn’t kill each other!” Thor laughe. “And look, they even constructed the little outdoor houses.”

“Tents, Thor,” Darcy stated as if needing to correct him.

Jane smiled to see the two weren’t fighting now and had managed to get the tents together. Maybe the two had talked it out. “I’m glad to see you two are getting along better now. I was starting to worry we might have to consider this trip a bust.”

Loki turned from his book. “It isn’t night yet. Wait until morning and see if you can still say that.” He glanced at Darcy, chuckling. "At least I found out that Darcy's good for tricks."

Darcy frowned. “Yeah, you’re a hoot, Loki.”

Jane looked confused but didn’t press. As long as they weren’t bickering, everything would be okay. The next couple hours were spent setting up camp and getting a fire going before it got dark. She didn’t ask Loki or Darcy to help, so Darcy went about setting up her bedroll and complained about having no Wi-Fi access this far out in the boonies.

Thor observed Loki still reading away. “You know, Loki, you could contribute.”

"I helped put up the tents," he replied, not bothering to look away from his book. He rolled over on his stomach.

Thor growled, “That was your part while Jane and I walked to the van and back. Get up and go gather some wood. You can read later.”

Loki jumped at Thor’s reaction, covering his rear with a hand. Without saying a word, he got up and walked off into the surrounding trees. He didn't stop until he was out of sight. He walked around for a few minutes, nudging at rocks with the toe of his shoe and doing whatever else to stall. Finally, he sighed to himself and began gathering sticks until he had a good sized bundle in his arms. He didn't want to do it, but he didn't dare go back to camp without them. He reached down to pick up a few more and disturbed a small garter snake, which slithered out and between his feet. He smiled, picking up the animal. It was just the perfect thing to tuck inside Darcy's sleeping bag, he thought. Turning, he made his way back to the campsite.

"I have the wood," Loki announced, walking up to Thor and presenting his bundle of sticks and wood pieces. He lowered his voice. "And I hope it's for the fire and not my backside."

Thor chuckled, nodding at the stack. "I suppose that will depend on you now, won't it? You can place them by the fire."

Loki looked down at the bundle in his arms, and without saying a word walked over and deposited the load by the fire pit. He looked around at everyone. Jane and Thor were busy arranging their gear and Darcy had finished with her bedroll and was standing off to the side of the campsite, still fiddling with her phone. Loki figured that he needed to get his bed made too, so he walked over, picked up his sleeping bag and knapsack, and went into his and Darcy's tent to begin setting up his side. When he was finished, he looked over across from him at Darcy's bed. He leaned over to peek out of the tent, then slowly took out the snake from where he had been hiding it and slipped it inside the girl's bedroll. Smiling and seeing that everything was set, he came out of the tent and walked over to stand beside the fire pit.

Jane had begun pulling out metal skewers and once she had them, she fished out the hotdogs from the cooler. "Alright! Who's ready to eat?"

Thor was quick to agree to that. "That sounds like a wonderful idea!" 

Darcy still seemingly frustrated with her phone grumbled and finally put it away and walked over to join everyone else.

While everyone was busy preparing things to eat, Loki walked over to Jane, giving a slight smile and motioning with his head that he wanted to speak with her alone.

Jane acknowledged Loki with a small nod as she handed the last hotdog skewer to Thor before following Loki to the other side of the campsite. "What's up, Loki?"

He hesitated, fingering the bottom of his T-shirt.

“I-I’m sorry.” He looked at her. “I didn’t mean to ruin your outing. It’s just that…” He looked back at Thor and Darcy, “Darcy really got on my nerves earlier.”

Jane regarded him curiously and smirked. “Darcy is good at getting on your nerves I’ve seen, and I think you do a fair bit of the same for her, but I’m glad you’re able to look past it now…or at least not be at each other’s throats. And you haven’t ruined the outing. I think everyone is just a bit dragged out from the drive and the walk to get a camp spot. Don’t worry, though, I am sure tomorrow will be a much better day for everyone.”

Loki looked down at his hands again. "I tend to be good at getting on people's nerves, or so I've been told. I'm just glad that Darcy doesn't wish to strangle or kill me like some would."

Feeling the need to reach out to Loki, Jane wrapped an arm around him and pulled him into a hug. “Well, you don’t get on my nerves, and don’t worry about Darcy, she’s not going to do anything to you other than give you a verbal thrashing if you make her mad enough.”

Smiling, Loki accepted the hug. Then his smile dropped at hearing Jane’s words. He wasn’t so sure about that as he thought back on Darcy’s threat to tell Thor on him. But he didn’t mention anything about it. Instead, he just nodded.

“Why don’t you come back to the fire to roast some hotdogs? I’ve got the chairs set up, so you can read your book by the fire if it suits you.” Jane grabbed his hand giving it a gentle squeeze.

Loki nodded again, following Jane back to the fire. He grabbed one of the chairs and set it next to Jane’s, deciding to eat first before reading.

Darcy seemed to have calmed down as well now as she sat casually with a leg kicked over the side of her chair as she and Thor discussed Asgardian lore, “And there’s another one that speaks of the end of days called Ragnarok, but obviously that can’t have happened since well you guys are here now.”

Thor nodded as he turned his hot dog, a serious look painting his features. “Father says that Ragnarok signifies change and not necessarily the end of all things, just something different which isn’t always a bad thing. The world needs change, after all.”

Loki kept quiet, glancing over at Thor and Darcy. His thoughts drifted to the snake in Darcy's bed and he smiled.

Jane nudged Loki noticing his smile. “What are you smiling about over there?” she teased as she handed him his own hotdog, sticking her own into the fire now.

He shook his head, pointing over to Darcy and Thor.

“Ragnarok,” he lied, rolling his eyes.

Jane laughed. “Oh, you don’t agree with their version, do you? And what version do you believe?”

Thor and Darcy were now also turning to listen to what Loki would say about their chosen topic of conversation.

“Who says I believe any of it?” Loki said, refusing to look at the others. "There are those who believe _I_ will cause it." He finally looked up, giving them his most innocent smile. "Is this the face of someone who will bring about the end of the world?"

“Totally!” Darcy spat out, laughing playfully.

Jane and Thor couldn’t help laughing too.

Loki’s smile dropped, replaced by an intense glare.

"Never mind," he mumbled.

Jane’s laughter died in her throat. “Aw, Loki, she was just joking.”

Darcy made matters worse, of course, rolling her eyes. “Uh oh, his royal princeliness is gwetting upset!”

Thor turned on Darcy. “That is enough, Darcy.” Turning back to Loki, Thor peered at him curiously. “What’s vexing you, Loki?”

"Sometimes it's hard to tell with her," said Loki, still staring at Darcy. He turned his eyes to Thor. "Nothing's vexing me. I'm just..." He thought a moment, "tired." He sighed.

Thor reached over grabbing his shoulder and giving it a hardy pat. “It has been a long day. Maybe you should lie down and get some rest.”

Loki nodded. “I will after awhile.”

Thor merely nodded not prodding.

Jane watched the scene, smiling at Thor for looking after Loki like he did. It kicked in her own maternal instincts for him as she reached over to pat his knee affectionately. “It’s been a long day.”

Loki slumped down in his chair, crossing his right leg over his left. The truth was…he still wasn’t looking forward to bunking with Darcy. He liked his privacy, and the thought of sleeping a few feet across from her wasn’t settling well with him. He glanced over at her. Maybe the snake he put in her bedroll would scare her out of sleeping in the tent and he would have it all to himself. He smiled again, stifling a laugh.

Darcy was still watching him although not in the same way that Thor and Jane were. She couldn’t put her finger on it, but she could tell he was up to something with all the smirks he kept throwing her way.

“Are you guys up for s’mores?” Jane asked excitedly where she was obviously looking forward to them.

"What?" Loki asked, confused as to what Jane meant.

Her face lit up even more. “Oh! You guys have never had s’mores, have you?” She practically knocked her chair over as she got up, doing an excited stomp.

Thor looked equally confused, and this set Darcy off as well.

“No way! You guys are about to be in heaven!” Darcy laughed, getting up to scurry off with Jane towards the supply bag.

Thor leaned over conspiratorially. “What is this business of s’mores?” 

Loki shrugged. “I dunno. I’m thinking it’s some sort of Midgard food.”

Thor nodded trying to look over at what the women were doing, his brow rising. “They are putting cotton balls on the skewers.”

Loki lifted an eyebrow. “They’re doing what?”

“They’re putting cotton balls on skewers by the looks of it. They’re coming this way with them now.”

Darcy and Jane both held two skewers with two marshmallows on each. Darcy handed one to Thor, and Jane handed one to Loki.

“Okay now, remember don’t put you marshmallow too close to the flame, or it’ll catch fire,” Jane announced. “If it does catch fire, pull it out quickly and blow it off.”

“You mortals have some interesting customs that even I am not aware of,” said Loki.

Darcy laughed. “If you call desserts a custom.”

“You two are going to like this,” Jane assured as she set down the plate holding the broken pieces of chocolate and squares of gram crackers. 

Loki looked at the plate, a bit unnerved. "You want us to mix this together?"

Jane merely nodded. “Here, your marshmallow is done, bring it to me.” As she said this, Jane prepared two pieces of gram cracker with a piece of chocolate on each, and when Loki brought his now toasted marshmallow over, she bit her own stick to free up her hands as she smooshed the two ends around to s’mores placing it on a small plate and handing it to Loki.

Loki took a bite and smiled, nodding. "It's good," he said after swallowing.

Darcy prepared one similarly for Thor as Jane was doing so for Loki, and both Asgardians seemed to be enjoying the treat very much.

The women weren’t far behind them as they too prepared their own s’mores, and everyone was quiet a few moments as they sat and ate their s’mores while staring into the fire. The sun had set now, and the stars were shining brightly overhead.

As Darcy finished her s’mores, she stretched and gave a yawn. “Whelp, I’ve been awake since seven AM, I’m going to go hit the hay.” Darcy trundled off towards the tent and climbed inside.

Loki smirked, getting up from his chair. "I'm going to go wash up and start heading that way, too."

"Okay, have a good night," Jane called after Loki as she scooted closer to cuddle with Thor.

It was then that a shrill scream erupted from Darcy and Loki's tent, and the girl ran out of the tent. "Snake! There was-s a snake in my bedroll!"

Over by the water spigot, Loki acted as natural as he possibly could while he busied himself with washing his face and hands. He laughed to himself as he listened to Darcy's frantic words.

Thor moved over to peer into the tent and after a moment of digging, he was able to suss out the snake. 

As he pulled the snake out of the tent, Darcy screamed and ran behind Jane. "Kill it!"

Thor laughed as he flung it deep into the woods. "Calm yourself. It won't be coming back."

"I'm never going to get to sleep now!" Darcy whimpered. 

“What’s going on?” said Loki, walking up to the group, smiling.

“Oh, nothing much, Darcy just had a visitor.” Jane chuckled. “This is why you don’t leave your tent flap open,” Jane chided lightly.

Darcy continued to carry on about the horrors she’d suffered as Thor looked down curiously at the tent’s entrance. The tent didn’t open directly to the ground, so the snake would have had quite a difficult time getting in he realized, so he walked around the tent searching for holes both inside and outside.

Loki stood, glancing at Jane and then to Darcy, chuckling. He wanted to burst out laughing, but he kept it contained. Maybe if he acted casual, no one would suspect how that snake really got in there.

“What can you expect?" he said. "You go camping, you're bound to run across a lot of critters." He walked forward and bent down to go into the tent. "If you'll pardon me, I'm going to go change into my pajamas." When he came back out again, he had his pack in his hands. Still chuckling, he turned and walked away from the group and disappeared into one of the dark areas beyond the camp. It only took a few minutes before he came back, wearing his silky pajamas and carrying his T-shirt, jeans, and shoes in his arms. He still wore a pleased smile on his face as he walked up to the others and the tent.

Thor had searched the tent over inside and out, and he couldn’t figure out how the snake got into the tent. “I can’t see any conceivable manner that it could have gotten in? Very strange indeed.”

Darcy had gone back with Jane to sit next to the fire as Darcy was now obviously wide awake and in no mood to sleep.

Seeing Loki return with a wide grin plastered on his face made Thor regard him a moment. Knowing his brother too well, Thor questioned, “Loki…you didn’t put that snake in your tent did you?”

Loki stopped upon hearing Thor’s question. His smile faltered, but he forced it to remain in place. Slowly he bent down to put his clothes and pack back inside the tent and came out again.

"Why do you ask that?" he replied, nervously picking at one of his fingernails. "We're camping out in the wilderness. A snake gets inside the tent. And you ask me something like that?"

Thor gave Loki a sidelong look. “Am I not addressing the trickster? Besides, I’m not angry either way, but if it was you, time for pranks needs to stop now, okay?”

“You’re not mad?” Loki blinked in surprise, and then he realized what he had said. He looked down then back at Thor. "Y-you mean if it was me, I-I'm not in trouble?"

Thor gave a soft chuckle. “No, Loki, I’m not mad. It was a harmless joke, but I think Darcy is at her wit’s end now. Promise me you’ll leave her be now?”

Loki’s smile returned and he relaxed. “It was me,” he finally said. “The way your voice sounded I thought I was going to be sleeping on my stomach tonight.” He turned to look back at Jane and Darcy. "I leave her alone? How can I? She's fun to play pranks on."

Thor looked at him seriously now. “If you can’t leave her alone, you just might yet be sleeping on your stomach tonight.”

Loki slowly turned his head to Thor. He nodded that he understood.

“Are…are you going to tell Darcy that it was me that put the snake in there?”

Thor sighed. “Honestly, I should make you tell her, but I’m going to let it slide this once because you two have already got enough bad blood between you.”

"I'm going to get in bed," Loki said after a few minutes of silence. "If you call these...tents...a bed. I'm not used to being in this small of a space."

Thor nodded. “Aye, they are strange contraptions, but Jane assures they are good for keeping insects away, and that is a boon. Get some rest, Loki, Jane has much planned for us.” Thor gave him another pat on the shoulder before turning towards the fire to join the women.

Sighing, Loki entered the tent, getting down on hands and knees and crawling into his side. He spent a few minutes getting blankets and pillows situated and grumbling about the tent’s size. Finally, he lay down, positioning himself as close to the side of the tent as possible. He was actually glad to get in bed. It had been a rotten day. But he was glad that Thor had gone easy on him and didn’t spank him for playing the snake prank on Darcy. He wouldn’t have been surprised, though, if Thor had chosen to spank him. It would have been the perfect ending to the day.

He rolled over to face Darcy’s bed and frowned. Now he just hoped he could get to sleep before the annoying girl finally got over her snake fear and came back to the tent. He put one of his thumbs snugly in his mouth and closed his eyes.


	14. Hiking and Picnic

Darcy giggled as the dawn hours showed Loki still sucking his thumb. “Oh man, this is totally going on Instagram!” She clicked another few shots with her phone, planning to show it to the trickster god after she’d posted it out of spite. This was going to be the ultimate payback! Although she couldn’t prove it, the amount of joy Loki had taken in her discomfort the night before left her to suspect that the snake was not just a fluke, but either way, his delight at her suffering was enough to want to get him back. She tucked her phone away in her bag now as she moved out of the tent to go shower and dress.

Jane and Thor were still sleeping as the first rays of the sun were just now coming up, so Darcy made her way alone down to the showering station.

The sun was completely up when Loki stirred. He took his thumb out of his mouth and rolled over, not really caring to get up. Maybe if he stayed in bed all day nothing bad would happen. He raised his head and sleepily looked over his shoulder at Darcy's side of the tent. Her bed was empty. He flopped his head back down on the pillow. He didn't remember hearing her enter before he fell asleep so maybe she decided against coming to bed. He smiled to himself. Perhaps his snake prank had worked to scare her off after all.

Try as he might, he couldn't go back to sleep now that he had woken up. He sat up and yawned, smoothing his hair down. Grabbing for his clothes, he began to undress and slipped on his jeans. When he finished changing, he came out of the tent and stretched. Jane, Thor, and Darcy were over by the fire pit. He really wasn't ready to start the day yet, but he forced himself to walk over and join them anyway.

Jane smiled at him. “I was about to come and get you. I made breakfast burritos. Yours is right over there on the edge of the coals to keep it toasty until you’d decided to get up.”

Darcy complained, “Oh, gosh, how did we forget to pack any coffee? Totally not a morning person over here.”

Thor was busy tossing pieces of kindling into the fire and moving it about to keep it going, glancing up and giving Loki a small nod of acknowledgment before returning to his task.

Loki smiled at Jane and nodded, and then he nodded at Thor as he walked over to the fire pit. He glanced over at Darcy.

“That makes two of us…” he mumbled. “If I had my way, I would stay in bed. At least there nothing bad would happen.”

Jane wrinkled her nose. “Well, I hope today is a better experience for the both of you. I was thinking we could take a hike around the mountainside and stop for a picnic lunch when we get to the other side of the gorge. The trail is incredibly scenic, and it’s not too treacherous to traverse. Hopefully, it’ll be a nice break away from the city.”

"Sounds delightful." Loki smiled. He turned to Darcy again, smirking. "Did you finally sleep well last night?"

Darcy smirked. "Oh, no, I had a hard time getting to sleep, but I woke up on the right side of the bed."

Loki gave her a puzzled look, wondering what she meant by that.

"Let's just say, things seemed brighter by daybreak!" Darcy laughed chipperly.

Remembering Darcy’s promise to get him back for playing the spider prank on her, Loki turned to Thor.

“She didn’t tape an embarrassing note to my back, did she?” He turned his back toward his brother. "Because she's just the person to do that low-rank prank."

It was Thor’s turn to laugh as he looked Loki over shaking his head. “No, I don’t see anything out of the ordinary, brother.”

This of course just made Darcy laugh all the more as she rose from the chair she’d been sitting. “Oh, too fun! It’s almost more fun to watch you stew.” Darcy giggled.

Jane smiled at the two’s antics. “You guys are something else. Loki, eat your breakfast, so we can get headed out.”

Loki pondered over what Darcy could be so happy about while he finished eating his breakfast in silence. He was looking forward to the hike. Finally, he had a chance to air his mind, as well as his pent-up energy. If Darcy didn't ruin it by talking the whole way, it should be a pretty good day, he thought. And maybe he would get the opportunity to play a few more pranks on her.

While Loki ate, Jane packed away their lunch for the day, and Thor packed some blankets and other miscellaneous supplies for the trip. It was still fairly early in the morning when they set out, and much to Loki’s happiness, no coffee meant that Darcy had a little less pep in her step leaving her to mull over her own thoughts as they walked taking in the landscape.

Thor stared ahead looking around and the various plateaus before turning a wide smile to Loki. “This is nice, is it not, Loki?”

Loki nodded in agreement. “Quite nice. Although I don’t care much for the barren areas.” He hurried to catch up to Jane, coming up to walk beside her.

Jane looked over to Loki as he stepped into stride with her; her face brightened to see he looked happy. “I like seeing that smile on your face,” she admitted to him.

Loki’s smile widened at Jane’s compliment. "I'm just glad to be out of that cramped tent."

“I’m just glad it’s no longer infested with snakes!” Darcy piped in.

At that comment, Thor gave Loki a knowing smile.

Jane bowed her head sheepishly. “I’m sorry about the accommodations. If we ever do this again trust me that everyone will have their own tent!”

Loki rolled his eyes and grinned, turning to look at Darcy. “You weren’t in any danger. The snake was harmless. Although it _was_ amusing hearing you scream so loudly.” He turned back to Jane. “I would appreciate that. Right now, I'm tempted to move Darcy's bedroll outside so I can have the tent to myself," he said it loud enough, hoping Darcy would hear.

Darcy harrumphed. “As if! You just try it, buddy! And how do you know that snake was harmless? It totally could have been a rattlesnake or something!”

Jane laughed. “Well, thankfully I don’t think it was poisonous and no one got bitten. And don’t be so mean to Darcy, Loki, or we won’t hear the end of it for the rest of the trip.”

“Hey! What’s that supposed to mean?” Darcy complained although she was in a good mood by now and only said so half-heartedly.

"I'm not being mean! The tent was rightfully mine before Darcy decided to come on this trip. I'm just reclaiming what's mine," Loki protested. He sighed. “No, the snake wasn’t poisonous. Do you honestly think I would put you in dang—” Loki stopped, looking to Darcy, then Thor, and finally to Jane, “…er...”

Darcy pointed a finger at Loki. “I knew it! Oh, man! See, Jane? What did I tell you?”

Jane looked at Loki with disappointment. “Loki! Why would you scare poor Darcy like that? You know she could hardly sleep afterward. And if you want to get technical, the tent is mine.” She smiled as she said the last bit to let Loki know she was just teasing him.

Thor raised an eyebrow at Loki. “Your jig is up, brother; Darcy’s wrath is on your head now,” he jested.

Darcy wore a frown now, not seeing the matter as funny at all. “I’m glad this is so amusing to you guys. Hardy har, har.”

“I’m a trickster. You should expect it,” he said. “Darcy's wrath, indeed. What can Darcy do, anyway?” He turned a grin to her. “I can’t imagine her being able to pull off a prank that can trick a pro like me. She screams at the mention of spiders and snakes, even when the spiders aren't even there." Loki smirked.

Darcy smiled devilishly. “Yeah, you just keep on thinking that way.”

Thor and Jane just gave each other a look before looking back at Loki and Darcy. “Here we go again.” Jane smirked as the two joined hands.

“What are you planning?” Loki pointed a finger at her. “You’d better not put anything painful down the back of my trousers. I’ve had enough pain back there to last me the rest of my life.” His cheeks flushed.

Thor commented offhandedly, “Let’s hope to keep it that way, shall we?”

Darcy all out laughed. “Yeah, doubt that’s going to happen!” Turning her attention fully to Loki now her smile widened. “Don’t you worry about my plans, trickster god, I got this, and now you’re just giving me ideas.”

Loki’s cheeks flushed redder as he looked from Thor to Darcy. He gave Darcy a sneer and moved over beside Jane again.

Jane gave Loki a sideways glance and a small smile. “You know, you just encourage her.”

Loki frowned. Getting tired of the present company, he walked on ahead of the group, looking at the scenery around them and enjoying just being alone with his own thoughts. His mind worked, trying to come up with another prank to play on Darcy. Everything she had said had to be a bluff. She wasn't really going to play any tricks on him. If she was serious about it, she would have done it already. He had already played two on her, so if she were going to do something to get him back she would have gone ahead and done it. He glanced back at the others, then turned his attention to the view on his left.

They had been heading at a steady incline for a while now, and Loki could see the crest of the mountainside where the sun now peaked high overhead to the point of drawing their shadows out to the east like a languid procession. Everyone seemed to quiet now as they looked out over the gorge admiring the view as the wind whipped up the side of the cliff side.

Loki turned to see that the others had caught up to him. He wrinkled his nose but said nothing. His eyes landed on Jane, and he suddenly felt that unexplainable thing deep within him that cried out to be noticed. He'd been so busy fighting with Darcy that he hadn't been able to spend time with Jane like he had hoped to do. He walked over to her and stood by her side as they continued to enjoy the view. He wanted to say something but instead smiled down at her.

She smiled back up at him as her hair whipped about violently now that they were nearing the edge of the cliff. “This is so beautiful, isn’t it?”

Thor and Darcy moved beside them as well as all of them silently enjoyed the view.

They had been walking for a little over three hours and were finally at the juncture that led them to go back down the mountain trail and into the valley of the gorge.

Jane asked them all for their opinions, “So, guys, do you want to eat lunch here or do you want to make our way down the mountain to eat in the gorge?”

Thor was quick to reply, “We can eat now or then, but now is preferable.”

Darcy shrugged. “I could go either way.”

Jane mused, “I don’t know, it’s kind of windy up here, but it is going to take us about an hour to get down there. We’ll leave it up to you Loki, what would you like to do?”

Loki stared at Jane like he'd never seen her before. She was asking him? No one had ever asked his opinion on anything, much less left it up to him to make a decision. He turned to face the wind.

"I agree with Jane," he finally answered, brushing his hair out of his face. "It's much too windy to eat here. Another hour won't make much difference. To be honest, I could care less about food at this point. All I want is a private place in which to...er—how shall I put it?—relieve myself."

"Yeah, don't go relieving yourself up here with all this wind please!" Darcy pleaded, and everyone laughed.

They began their trek down the cliff side, and within an hour's time, they had made it into the valley which was much lusher compared to the barren plateaus above.

Jane found a little outcropping in the shade, and Thor went to work setting up the blankets he had been carrying.

While Thor, Jane, and Darcy busied themselves with arranging their picnic area, Loki went off to use the bathroom. He returned after about ten minutes, earning a hard, threatening stare from Thor as he approached.

"What?" Loki said, catching Thor's glare. "You thought I ran off again? I can't explore a little bit?"

"You were gone for some time. I wasn't worried that you had taken off again, but I have to wonder what you were up to. It better not be seeking new ways to enact pranks on Darcy, Loki. Consider yourself warned." There was no reason Loki would have needed to be gone as long as he had been without looking to cause some kind of mischief.

After flashing Thor an innocent grin, Loki sat down on the ground between Jane and Darcy.

“I’m hurt, Thor,” he said, still smiling. “You don’t even trust your own brother?”

"Oh, I trust you all right. I trust you'll find new and inventive ways to be mischievous," Thor countered.

Still smiling, Loki turned to look at Jane and then to Darcy. "What?" he said, catching the look Darcy was giving him.

“I’m watching you,” she stated curtly, giving him a smoldering glare before returning to the task of helping Jane set up the food.

Jane had brought bananas, apples, and a small bag of blue ice that held the sliced turkey, mayo, and cheese. Darcy had carried the bread and together they were working to make sandwiches. Jane glanced up at Loki. “Did you see anything interesting?”

“Watch all you want.” Loki smirked at Darcy. “I _am_ good looking, after all.” He turned to Jane. “I found a small river. And there are some strange looking plants around here. They look like they have pins sticking out of them."

Darcy rolled her eyes. “And conceited! Pfft!”

Thor looked in the direction that Loki had come from to see if he could see the things that Loki spoke of from their vantage point.

“Those plants are called cacti, but be sure you don’t touch them. I remember when I was younger playing outside a friend of my father’s. I’d thought it was so fun to roll down the dunes until I rolled right into one of those things! Let’s just say I was picking those pins out of my hand for the rest of the night!” Jane finished making the sandwiches. “Come on,” she instructed, “we can get a better look around after we eat, guys."

“I’ll remember that.” Loki cringed, taking a sandwich. His eyes fixed intently on Jane as she engaged in conversation with Thor and Darcy as they ate. Thoughts of Frigga suddenly started playing across his mind. He remembered back on the days when just the two of them went on picnics in the garden when Odin and Thor were off doing something else. He remembered the conversations they had, the moments they spent feeding the fish in the pond, and how she had taught him the names of all the flowers in the garden. He missed her touch and embrace and the way she used to run her fingers through his hair. He longed to be caressed again. Of course, he still had Thor, but it wasn’t the same. A brother didn’t know how to do things in the ways a mother could. Besides, he still had mixed feelings for Thor. Something inside Loki wanted to reach out to Jane more than he had, but he held himself back. It seemed wrong, plus Thor might take it the wrong way.

Loki took another bite of his sandwich, slowly chewing as he stared at nothing in particular on the picnic blanket.

Having noticed Loki having a forlorn, far off look on his face, Jane patted his knee. “Are you okay? You look unhappy.”

Loki jumped at feeling Jane’s hand on his knee, coming out of his trance. He looked at her then to Thor.

“Erm…yeah, I'm okay.” He took a few more bites and swallowed. “I was just thinking.”

“Care to share?” Jane asked, looking at him carefully.

Thor and Darcy only watched him now as they continued to eat.

He stared at her a moment, then looked at his sandwich. “I was just thinking about Mother,” he said in a low voice.

Jane frowned, knowing that the subject was an open wound for Loki. She took a moment before continuing, “Does this place remind you of her?”

Thor seemed solemn as his own thoughts drifted to Frigga.

Darcy, feeling uncomfortable with saying anything on the subject, leaned back and continued to nibble her sandwich as she looked between Thor and Loki. 

Loki shrugged. "We used to go on picnics together when I was a child."

Thor nodded his agreement as he stated, “Loki and Mother were very close, and although he’ll not admit it readily, he went on many picnics with her far after childhood. She was a good woman.”

Jane nodded, stating softly, “She sounds like it.”

Loki slowly looked at Jane, giving a weak smile. “I’m sorry. I-I didn’t mean to make the afternoon gloomy.”

Jane leaned in to whisper something to Thor, and he nodded and patted her hand and gave her a peck on the cheek. Jane rose then, extending her hand to Loki. “Walk with me?”

Loki looked up at her. He glanced at Thor then put down his sandwich, wiping his hands on his pants. He stood up.

She took his hand and led him away from the blanket in silence. Once they’d walked a small distance away from Thor and Darcy, Jane stated, “Why don’t you tell me about her, and if you’d rather not, we can just walk to the river you spoke about.”

Loki kept his gaze downward, kicking at a rock as they walked.

“I’ve never been strong like Thor,” he finally began. “I tried doing everything Thor did, but he always bested me. It frustrated me because it made me feel like I was useless, that I couldn’t do anything to make Odin and Mother proud of me. It was Mother who saw I was different than Thor. She took me and taught me magic as well as her style of combat.” Loki smiled. “She was a bit of a trickster herself, and she always laughed when I would play pranks on the servants. We grew close during our studies. It was like…we were cut from the same pattern. I liked a lot of the same things she did—art, reading, magic, spells, picnics in the garden, making people laugh—which made her happy because Thor was never interested in them much. He was more rugged, warrior-like, which pleased Odin. Mother liked having a son that was following in her footsteps. She loved me even when Odin didn’t show any love toward me. She loved me even when she knew I was…” Loki quickly changed the subject. “She was kind, gentle, and understanding, yet firm. Kinda like you.” He sniffed back a tear. “I miss her gentleness and the way she held me close and ran her hand through my hair. Ever since she died, I’ve felt...like a part of me is missing—felt insecure. I know Thor is trying is best…but…”

Jane squeezed his hand and pulled him closer so that they bumped shoulders and their arms intertwined. “Thor is not your mother,” she stated lightly. “He is trying, but there is no replacement for her. I am honored that you would think I could resemble her at all. I feel the pain in your heart through your words, and even though I’m not her, you know I’m here for you whenever you need to talk, right?”

Loki smiled and nodded. He wasn't sure what prompted him to tell everything to Jane, but it felt good to finally open up to someone.

They continued to walk hand in hand as they made it to the river and gazed out at the ripples as the stream moved lazily along. Jane looked to a group of large boulders and pointed. “Would you like to sit a spell? We can take a moment here to just enjoy the river before we go back to Thor and Darcy.”

Loki nodded. "Yes, I would like that." He followed her to the boulders, both of them sitting beside each other.

Jane leaned against Loki now as they sat in silence a few moments before Jane spoke, “Tell me, Loki, what do you think is going to make you happy?”

Loki frowned. "When Thor stops spanking me."

Jane couldn’t help but laugh. “Well, that’s a short term goal, but I’m talking the bigger picture, Loki. What’s going to get you to a point where Thor doesn’t feel a need to spank you anymore?”

Loki traced over the rock he was sitting on with his finger. "Thor will spank me no matter what because he wishes to see me suffer. Odin's the same way. Both of them wish to keep me on a leash like a slave so they can tell me what to do and how to live my life. I'm an adult. I'm free to do what I want and free to make my own choices. My oaf of a brother humiliates me by treating me like a child. The night when I tried running away, I wanted to go to another realm so I could get away from Thor's hold and do as I please." He picked up a nearby rock and threw it into the river out of frustration. "Although I probably wouldn't have gotten far since Odin took my powers away to punish me. It's not fair that Thor always gets praise and all I ever get is punishment! That's always the way it's been! Nothing I do is pleasing to Odin. Even when I try to do good it's never good enough for him. It's all because I'm a monster! A worthless Frost Giant runt! I wasn't wanted by my real parents and I'm not wanted by Odin. I don't belong anywhere. That's why I wanted to rule Midgard. So I can have somewhere where I'm wanted. But I see now that I'd be better off if Odin just sentenced me to death and be done with it." Tears streamed down Loki's cheeks as he lowered his head, drawing up his knees to his chest.

Jane reached out to run Loki's hair behind an ear. Hating to see him cry, she then placed her palm on his cheek using her thumb to gently wipe away the tears that cascaded down his face. "Don't cry, Loki. I know you're having a hard time, but you have to remember that when I met Thor, he was suffering a similar fate, at least concerning being punished by your father, by having his powers taken from him. As for the spanking...I wish I had some advice, but I can only say that knowing your brother like I do, I don't think he does so to hurt you over just trying to keep you safe from yourself. You have to admit, you've made some poor choices that have led you to where you are now."

Loki didn't like hearing that last bit. He raised his head to look at Jane, studying her face then sneering. He wanted to argue the point, but since it was Jane he couldn't bring himself to say anymore. He didn't want to argue with her since she had gone out of her way to be kind to him and make him feel accepted. She was the one person he felt he could confide in, and he wished to keep it that way. He remembered the harsh words he had spoken to Frigga the last time he saw her and didn't want to repeat the mistake. Instead, he turned to look out toward the river again. Not really thinking much about it, he automatically lifted a thumb to put in his mouth, caught himself, and quickly put his hand down. His cheeks flushed slightly.

Jane only smiled sweetly at him as she pushed another strand of hair out of his face. "It's going to get better, Loki, just try to be patient."

Loki heaved a big sigh. "I guess. But right now it's hard." He smiled at feeling her brushing his hair back. He leaned against her.

She let his head fall on her chest and wrapped her arm around him to brush her fingers through his hair, smoothing it. She didn't speak letting the silence carry a calm as they just enjoyed each other's company.

Loki closed his eyes, soaking up the attention and enjoying the feel of Jane’s hand in his hair. He wanted the moment to last longer, but he knew it was getting awkward. What if Thor and Darcy came looking for them and found them in this position? How would they explain it? Things were already messed up between him and Thor as it was. He didn’t need anything else to add to the list. Even though he didn’t love Jane in _that_ way, he really didn’t want Thor getting the wrong impression.

With a sigh, Loki forced himself away from Jane and sat up straight. “I-I don’t want Thor seeing us like this and getting the wrong impression,” he softly said. “I appreciate the company, though.”

Jane crinkled her brow. “I think Thor trusts my intentions, but if you’re feeling uncomfortable I understand. Do you want to head back now?”

“No, I’m not feeling uncomfortable.” He turned a shy smile to Jane. “I like the attention.” He thought a moment, thinking that they probably should go back, but he wasn't looking forward to Darcy or Thor. He yawned, turning to Jane again. "I don't want to head back unless you want to."

She smiled. “I told Thor we may be gone a while. I wanted to make sure we had time to talk and that we wouldn’t be interrupted.”

Loki nodded. “So, is there anything else you wish us to talk about or anything you wish to ask me?”

“I’m here for you, Loki. I thought you might need a little time away from Thor and Darcy, so I figured we could talk away from them for as long as you needed.” As she spoke, she squeezed his shoulder reassuringly.

"Thank you," he said with a smile. "Why couldn't have Odin assigned you as my guardian instead of Thor?" He stood up and walked a little piece, picking up a smooth stone and tossing it across the river. It skipped seven times before sinking.

Jane thought on that, thinking she could care for Loki although if he’d gotten out of hand, it would boil down to Thor spanking him. She, of course, didn’t mention this as she knew it would likely highly upset Loki. Instead, she said, leaning down to pick up a stone of her own attempting to skip it horribly across the river, “Maybe your father will let me come visit you like Thor spoke to me about. He did say that he would have to speak with him at great lengths, but he thought he might be able to convince him. What do you think?”

Loki spun around to face her, smiling. "Thor mentioned that to you? I thought it was a good idea, but I know the All-Father will never agree to it." He threw another rock. "He's just that stubborn. Also...Odin is not my father."

Jane studied Loki then and seeing a hint of turmoil there, she questioned carefully, “I know you’ve said that Odin isn’t your actual father, but didn’t he raise you as his own?”

Loki glanced at her. “Raised?” he spat, shaking his head. “I’m nothing but a war trophy to him. He claims that he saved my life, but he only took me—kidnapped me—because he knew it would give him a stronger hold over the Jotun. And he was going to use me to bring peace between our races. He lied to me about my true heritage all of these years, never bothering to tell me that I’m the monster that we were told to fear and hate as kids. I found out the hard way, while we were battling Frost Giants.” He threw another rock, then turned to Jane. “Do you know what it’s like to be in the middle of a battle and suddenly find out that you’re part of the side you’re fighting against? Do you know what it feels like not knowing where you belong anymore or what side you should be on?” He glanced down at his hands. “Would you still care about me if I told you that my skin is blue under this? That I have red eyes? That I look like…like some creature that hides under children’s beds, ready to snatch and devour them?”

Jane’s brow furrowed as she shook her head. “You’re not a monster, Loki; you’re just confused. It wouldn’t matter what color your skin is or your eyes. That isn’t going to change who you fundamentally are to me. I can’t speak about your father since I don’t know him or his intentions, but I know Thor cares for you and doesn’t see you as any less than his brother.”

He silently stared at Jane for a long while, searching her eyes. Finally, he walked over and sat down next to her again.

“I used to be so scared of the giants when I was a child. I had nightmares of them chasing me.”

Jane slid closer to him now as her face creased with a frown to hear his words. “Have you learned anything more about your heritage?—well, since the battle?”

“Yeah,” he answered. “I’m the son of Laufey, king of the Jotun. I was born a prince. According to Odin, I was abandoned, left to die because I’m a runt.”

“Left to die? That’s awful! Is that how Odin came to have you then?” Jane was stricken at the idea of abandoning an infant to die.

Loki nodded. "Yes," he said, keeping his eyes forward. "He found me and took me, along with the giants' casket, during the war with the giants. Spoils of war. Stolen relics." He looked at Jane out of the corner of his eye. "Mother said they never told me what I was because they didn't want me feeling different among the other children. But...I lived a lie all that time, thinking I was their biological son."

Understanding rested on Jane’s features now as her sad eyes studied him. “Did you…feel different among the other children? I mean, did the lie at least save you some pain growing up?”

Loki turned to Jane. “Of course, I felt different, but for different reasons. I’m a trickster. Tricksters aren’t popular among anyone, especially when you cut off someone's hair, as I did to Sif." A faint smile appeared and then he frowned. "First time Mother ever spanked me."

Jane had to chuckle. “I’d spank you too if I’d seen you cut off a girl’s hair. You know that’s supposed to be our crowning glory and all that.”

Loki shot her a glare but didn’t say anything. He suddenly bent over and scooped up a frog, holding it carefully in his hands. Grinning, he turned to Jane. “How do you think this will look in Darcy’s bed tonight?”

Shaking her head, Jane commented, “You say that you don’t want any more spankings, Loki, but you know how Thor feels about you playing pranks on Darcy. You’re going to push him to react, and you’re not going to have anyone to blame but yourself then.”

Loki’s jaws worked as he looked from Jane to the frog, contemplating her words. He opened his hands and allowed the frog to jump out.

“But Darcy’s so much fun to prank,” he said with a frown. "She screams louder than Sif and the maids ever did."

She gave his arm a soft punch. “You are so bad, you know that?” She laughed. “It was pretty funny to see her run out of her tent like that, but the fact that she wouldn’t go back to bed until the wee hours of the morning kind of sucked for me since I’m the one who stayed up with her!”

He lowered his gaze and gave her a sheepish, smug smile. "At least I got the tent to myself."

Jane raised an eyebrow. “Was that your plan all along?”

Loki moved uncomfortably, not wanting to look at Jane anymore. "Uh...maybe."

Jane frowned disapprovingly. “You know that’s very uncool, Loki, and that was your plan again tonight as well?”

He shrugged and then nodded. He nudged at a rock with his foot, dislodging it. "You aren't going to tell Thor, are you?"

Jane smirked. "Do you think I ought to?" She was just teasing him for the most part.

Loki's eyes widened and he frantically shook his head.

Jane couldn't help but laugh. "I'll tell you what, I'll keep it to myself this time as long as you lay off of Darcy. Okay?"

Loki didn't answer, his eyes moving down to stare at his shoes.

Jane didn’t press him to answer figuring that Loki would either listen to her advice or end up over a knee once again. Instead, she just watched him curiously now to see what he’d say when he did finally speak.

“What will you do if I say I won't?” he said slowly and softly, testing Jane.

She looked away, playfully tapping her lip. “Well then, I think you know what will happen, but you’re not going to make me go down that route, are you?” She turned to look at him seriously now.

Loki’s eyebrows flew up and he put both hands down on the rock he was sitting on, looking like he might jump to his feet and take off running. “Y-you’re not going to…s-s-spank me, are you?” His cheeks reddened at the embarrassing thought alone. His eyes desperately studied her for any signs that she was joking with him.

She looked at him inquisitively. “You wouldn’t put me in a position to need to, would you? You know I care about you, Loki, but if you made me make a hard choice on your behalf know that I will always choose to help you.”

Loki swallowed, not liking Jane's answer, and definitely not liking the thought of Jane spanking him. Thor doing it was one thing, but Jane? She wasn’t even family. She'd already seen him bare and draped over Thor's knee. That had been humiliating enough in itself. He didn't like the thought of her pulling his pants down to blister his tail herself. He sighed, weighing his choices. He could either choose no fun or pain. It was starting to become the story of his life. He looked at Jane.

“Okay, I’ll lay off Darcy,” he finally breathed out dejectedly, giving in to the fact that he’d lost this round. “But I want you to find out what she’s up to. I know she’s planning something against me and I want to know what. She’s been acting funny all day…more than usual.”

Jane cocked her head to the side, giving him a small nod. “Deal. You lay off Darcy, and I’ll do a little digging and nip whatever plot she has to get you back in the bud. Now shake on it!” She smiled, letting out a small laugh as she wagged her hand in front of him now.

Loki looked at her hand, smiled, and put his hand into hers and shook. "Deal," he said. "You know, I think it might be best that we start heading back. I'm getting kind of hungry, and I'm fairly sure that Darcy has driven Thor out of his mind by now."

Jane laughed as she rose from the boulder. “You should have brought your sandwich on the walk, silly.” She stretched casually, and the two made their way back to Thor and Darcy. The two seemed to have found ways to entertain themselves as they were carrying on and laughing when Loki and Jane returned.


	15. Sweet and Sour Revenge

The four stayed in the valley for another hour while Loki finished his lunch. During this time, they just relaxed and enjoyed the scenery. Thor and Darcy were interested in seeing the river as well, and since it was on the way back to the campsite, it worked out so that the group could all enjoy it together.

Jane hung back as Thor and Loki took the front of the procession, giving her a chance to talk to Darcy. “So, what have you got up your sleeve there?”

Darcy lifted an eyebrow. “Whatever do you mean, dear lady?” She joked, wiggling her eyebrows.

“Oh, I think you know very well what I’m talking about. You’ve only been gloating about it all morning, and it’s got poor Loki in quite a tizzy.” Jane smirked.

“Oh! That!” Darcy laughed as she pulled out her phone. “It’s not much; I just caught the most precious picture ever of our dear trickster god this morning, sucking his thumb!” she whispered conspiratorially as she turned her camera on to show Jane the evidence.

Jane frowned as she took the phone to get a better look. Loki did look adorable, but she knew he would die of embarrassment if he knew Darcy had seen him like this. “Darcy, what are you planning?”

Darcy laughed. “Oh, the ultimate payback when we get back to civilization, I’m totally going to put this on the Internet!”

Jane’s frown deepened. “You know I can’t let you do that to him, Darcy.”

It was Darcy’s turn to frown. “What? Why not? He totally deserves it!”

“For putting a snake in your tent? Come on, Darcy, don’t you think that’s just a little harsh?” Jane chided.

Darcy sighed. “Okay. Fine. I won’t put it on the internet, but I’m totally going to keep this picture as a souvenir to tease him with later.”

Jane smiled. “As long as you give me your word that’s as far as it goes.”

Darcy laughed. “Okay, okay. I promise.”

Thor had remained silent through half of their walk, just glancing over at Loki before finally asking, “How are you holding up, Loki?”

Loki threw Thor a smile. "I'm holding up just fine." And for once he was telling the truth. He was happy for the moment. Venting his frustrations to Jane had taken a load off him and he felt calmer. He couldn't figure it out. He had opened himself up and said so many things and Jane just sat there and listened to him without scolding or criticizing him...much. He turned to look back at Jane, his smile widening.

Jane and Darcy were carrying on a conversation now, laughing and talking as best friends often do.

Thor was pleased Loki seemed happier now. “I’m glad to hear it, Loki. I was thinking, maybe when we return to Asgard, you and I can go on an adventure. Just the two of us.”

"Oh? What sort of an adventure did you have in mind?" Loki still wasn't looking forward to going back. He felt that doing so would be too painful for him since there were a lot of memories linked with Asgard that he didn't want to revisit anytime soon. He would never admit it openly, but coming back to Midgard had been the best thing for him. Not only did it help get his mind off other problems, but he had found a new friend in Jane. Going back to Asgard meant he would have to leave her behind unless Odin agreed to allow her to visit. But Loki chose not to say anything about his feelings to Thor.

Thor shrugged. “I haven’t really decided, but if you have any suggestions, I’m open to hearing them.”

Loki shrugged in return. "I haven't any suggestions right now, but if I come up with one, I'll let you know." He turned to look at Thor. "I thought you were going to speak with Odin about Jane coming to visit."

"Yes, I planned to speak with Odin, but Jane will need to return to her research for a while. She has other responsibilities, but if Father is amiable to the idea of her visit, we will certainly come back to Midgard to fetch her." Thor smiled as he said this, although he too worried what the All-Father would say on the matter.

Loki slowly nodded, not liking the way that sounded. How long would it be before Jane would be able to come to Asgard? That is if the All-Father allowed it.

Loki seemed lost in thought, so Thor did not interrupt while they continued to make their way back to camp.

When they finally returned to the campsite, Loki gathered up some fresh clothes and started walking toward the showers. Seeing Jane over by the coolers, he quickly made his way over to her, looking around once to make sure they were alone.

"I'm going to take a quick shower," he said, smiling. He glanced around again. "Did you find out what Darcy is going to do?"

Jane looked about to make sure it was just the two of them. "It's not what she planned to do, it's what she already did. She got a picture of you when you were asleep...with your thumb in your mouth. But don't worry, I spoke to her, and she's not going to do anything with it. We made an agreement, and she's also going to leave you alone."

Loki’s face went pale and his stomach felt to drop to the bottom of his feet. He stared at Jane a few minutes with his mouth hanging open as if a third eye suddenly sprouted on her forehead. It was a secret he had kept to himself ever since he grew out of the toddler age. It was just one of those simple things he found gave him comfort and relaxed him at nights. To hear it come from Jane’s mouth made him want to sink through the ground. And knowing Darcy also knew made it even worse. He had a feeling all along that no good would come out of them bunking together. Darcy was just the type who would find out about his secret. Glancing around them once more, Loki turned to face Jane again, his voice low.

“Th-there must be some mistake. I…I don’t…suck my thumb,” he lied, forcing a faint, nervous smile and laugh. He suddenly felt like he could throw up. He could feel his cheeks burning. “She must have done it to me to fake the picture.”

Jane gave Loki a sad smile, having seen it herself before Darcy’s captured moment. “It doesn’t matter, Loki, you were sleeping one way or another, and Darcy isn’t going to use it against you. I made her promise, and I know she’s good for her word.”

He nervously twisted his clothes around in his hands, numbly nodding at Jane's words.

Jane reached out to ruffle his hair. “Trust me, okay? I know Darcy well enough. I can assure you that she’s not the type to go back on her word. You have nothing to worry about. Alright?”

“Pffft, why would I worry?” he said with a laugh, his voice still nervous. “Like I said, I don’t…” He couldn’t bring himself to say it. He chewed his bottom lip and looked down at the shirt in his hands, knowing that Jane could probably tell that he wasn’t telling the truth. "D-d-did you see the picture?"

Jane thought his behavior was adorable, but she kept that to herself as she answered truthfully, “I did, but I don’t judge, Loki. It’s nothing to be ashamed of you know.”

Loki’s lips curled into a small, shy smile as he visibly relaxed slightly. He forced himself to look at Jane, studying her face. He still couldn't figure out why she was so nice and understanding to him.

Feeling he needed a hug, Jane reached out to him pulling Loki into her arms. “You always look at me so wounded. It hurts me to see so much pain hiding behind your eyes. I want you to know that you will always hold a special place in my heart, Loki.”

Loki wrapped his free arm around her and leaned his head against hers, closing his eyes. Finally, he pulled away and stepped back.

"I need to go take a shower," he said at last.

Jane blushed, taking a step back herself hoping she hadn’t embarrassed Loki. “Oh, yeah, sorry. I need to go ahead and get the fire going and set the grill up for burgers.”

Loki walked to the showers, occasionally stopping to look around the campsite. His mind worked hard, trying to come up with a plan to get that picture away from Darcy. How dare she take a picture of him like that! He frowned as he caught sight of the girl walking up to Jane by the fire pit.

When Loki finished showering, he joined the others by the fire. He ran a towel over his wet hair several times and threw it on one of the nearby chairs.

Thor had taken off to gather more wood for the night’s fire as Jane had worked to prepare the patties of meat.

Darcy, seeing Loki coming, laid her towel and phone on the chair beside the cooler while she went off quickly to change into clean clothes before Loki decided he wanted to use the tent for any reason. She wanted first dibs!

Jane had the plate of burgers setting carefully placed across the open cooler to keep the meat from touching any other surface other than the grill as Jane worked to get the coals aligned to place the grill down on the fire, and when she saw Loki coming up, she glanced up smiling, hailing him to her. “Oh, Loki! Hey, can you hand me the grill plate with the burgers and close the cooler? The fire is ready.”

“Sure,” Loki replied, returning her smile. He walked over to the cooler, glancing at the chairs. Taking a second look, his eyes landed on Darcy’s phone. Could it really be this easy? He glanced over at Jane, and then looked back at the phone. He reached down and picked up the plate of burger patties. With one swipe of his hand, he quickly knocked Darcy’s phone into the cooler and closed the lid. Problem solved. He couldn't believe his luck!

“Here it is,” he cheerily said, walking up and handing the plate to Jane.

“Thanks!” Jane gratefully took the burgers from him, placing them neatly across the coals. “I’ve already seasoned them, so hopefully you will like their flavor,” Jane added, none the wiser to what Loki had done.

Darcy was coming back from the tent as Jane was standing dusting herself off. Darcy went to her chair where she’d left her things leaning down to scoop them up to sit before realizing that her chair was devoid of her phone. Picking up and shaking out her towel, Darcy readjusted her glasses looking around the chair. “Hey? Did you see where my phone went?”

Loki silently glanced over at her.

Jane peered over to Darcy, looking around as well. “Are you sure you didn’t bring it to the tent?”

Darcy huffed. “Yeah, I’m pretty sure. I remember having it with me here when I was drying my hair.”

Loki finally walked over to join the women, peering over Jane's shoulder. "Is there a problem?"

Darcy glanced over at him before picking up the chair now fully. “I can’t find my phone! It was right here!”

Loki nodded, beginning to look around, too.

Several minutes passed while all three searched for the missing phone before Jane had to flip the burgers. Realizing she’d left the cut up onion rings in the cooler, she moved to grab the Ziplock bag with them in it to throw on the grill with the burgers. As she dug into the cooler, though, she saw Darcy’s phone and gasped lifting it out with a hint of horror on her face. The phone was leaking water profusely now, and it was at that point Darcy also saw what Jane was holding.

“Oh, my gosh! My…my phone!” Darcy cried out, reaching for and taking it from Jane. Her face was stricken. “It’s…it’s ruined!”

Loki looked between Jane and Darcy before his eyes landed on the soaked phone. He had to suppress a smile at his handiwork.

"A pity," he said.

Jane watched her go, but not before she saw the hint of a smirk play across Loki’s face. She regarded him coolly now. “Did you do that to her phone, Loki? And before you answer, please don’t lie to me. I’ll know.” She stared at him, looking in his eyes intently now.

He snapped his head around, caught off-guard by her approach. Licking his lips, he replied, “What do you mean? It was in the cooler. Clearly, it fell in there after she laid it on the chair.”

Jane sighed, her eyes looking tired. “Her phone just happens to fall into the cooler right after I told you what she had on it? It is a little hard to swallow especially since the chair is lower than the cooler and wasn’t near enough to fall in easily.”

Loki pursed his lips, glancing over at the cooler. He shifted from one foot to the other, his gaze falling to the ground. "Yeah, that _is_ weird."

“Okay, fine. Why don’t we wait until Thor comes back, and we can have this conversation with him.” As Jane said this, she moved back to the burgers to flip them and finally place the onion rings on the grill as she’d intended earlier.

Loki continued to stand in the same spot, staring and looking quite unnerved. He felt bad about saying what he had to Jane. He also didn't like the thought of Thor being dragged into the problem. He turned and walked over to stand beside her.

“Thor doesn't have to know," he said. "I-I did it,” he confessed.

Jane nodded. “I know.” She stood once more after finishing her task. Turning fully now, she turned to Loki a grave look of disappointment painting her features. “I trusted you, Loki. I’ll tell you what, Thor doesn’t have to know, but you’re still going to need to answer for what you’ve done. You and I...after dinner, we’re going to take another walk. Do you understand?”

Loki couldn’t bring himself to look at Jane as she spoke. But the moment she mentioned their little walk after dinner, he turned a stunned face to her, his heart leaping in his chest.

“You’re not serious…” he breathed.

“Does it look like I’m joking to you?” Jane stood, crossing her arms as she frowned deeply at him. “If not me, then I’ll be forced to tell Thor. I’d rather handle this between the two of us since you broke your promise to me, Loki. And frankly, Thor was just telling me how proud he was of your progress, and I know it’d break his heart to hear you’ve been so malicious to Darcy. Not to mention it’s just going to incite more problems between you and Darcy if she ever finds out what you did.”

Loki lowered his gaze again, feeling miserable after hearing Jane’s words. And what made him even more miserable was seeing the disappointment on her face. That cut him more than anything else. He wanted to say something to try and make things right, but he wasn't sure what to say.

She sighed as she moved to pull the bread out and the condiments before addressing Loki further, “I’m giving you a choice here, Loki. You’ve got until after dinner to decide how you want this to go down.”

"Ar-are you...mad at me?"

Jane just gazed at him a moment looking almost sad. “Mad? No, Loki. I’m not mad; I’m just disappointed. I thought you and I had an understanding, but you let petty jealousy control your actions.”

Loki stared at the ground. He definitely didn’t want another spanking, but he found that his thoughts kept coming back to the way he’d let Jane down…not to mention he’d ruined Darcy’s phone. He and Jane had been so happy earlier, and now… His eyes began to water when he realized he’d tainted the whole day and broke his promise. And what if he’d ruined his friendship with Jane? That thought scared him the most. He wanted Jane to continue being his friend. He didn't want her to be disappointed in him. He just wanted things to go back to the way they were before he destroyed the phone. His thoughts now focused on the promised spanking and he swallowed. He would never have guessed that Jane would actually go through with spanking him. She was his brother’s girlfriend, after all. The thought of her doing it made his cheeks burn with embarrassment. He didn’t relish the thought of just anyone seeing him exposed. Maybe she wouldn’t spank him that hard and would leave his pants in place. It was a better option than Thor, he guessed. He didn’t want Thor to know about all of this. Not only would he be gravely disappointed like Jane had said, but he’d surely use a switch on him. He didn’t want to feel a switch again. Suddenly, he wasn't very hungry. And he hoped that everyone ate slowly.

"I..." He swallowed again, his voice about to crack, “I'll go with you after dinner."

Jane gave him a small serious nod looking past Loki to see Thor trundling up to the fire, smiling at the huge mound of firewood he’d managed to procure. She gave Thor a wide smile. “That’s enough wood to get us through the remainder of the camping trip I think.”

Thor smiled proudly as he deposited the bundle next to the fire pit. “Aye! That was what I was hoping!” He closed his eyes, inhaling deeply, “That smells fantastic, Jane.”

“Thanks, Thor; I hope you like the seasoning. They should be done here in a few minutes.” As she spoke, she continued to tend to the food.

Thor turned to Loki, seeing the somber look on his face. “Is everything okay, brother?”

Loki took a deep breath and let it out, forcing a smile. “Yeah, sure, everything’s great. I'm just...tired...from the day's activities." He pulled away from Thor and walked to one of the chairs, plopping himself down in it.

Thor nodded. “I understand. I had problems trying to adapt myself when Father took my Asgardian strength from me; it can be quite the trial.”

Darcy having sensed the food was close to being finished came out of the tent and moved solemnly over to the fire to sit as she asked flatly, “Do you need any help, Jane?”

Jane gave her a sympathetic look. “No, I’ve got it, Darcy.”

Noticing immediately how unhappy Darcy looked Thor queried, “What has gotten you so glum?”

Darcy sighed. “My phone. It ended up in the cooler. Kaplooie! No more phone.” Her frown deepened as she spoke on the matter as it obviously still bothered her greatly.

Thor grimaced coming to sit beside her, patting her shoulder comfortingly. “I’m sorry to hear that, Darcy.”

Jane scraped the hamburgers off the grill then placing them on the buns she’d already set out and handed each of them a plate. Thor was, of course, quite grateful having four hamburgers while Darcy took hers with a small dejected, “thanks.”

“Here you go, Loki.” Jane presented the two she’d made him now.

Loki pulled his eyes away from Darcy to look down at his plate then up at Jane. “Thank you,” he said softly, holding her gaze a few minutes. But he didn’t feel like eating. Picking up one of the burgers, he nibbled at it as he thought about things.

Jane finished setting up her own plate as the condiments got passed around and everyone ate in silence now. Jane addressed Thor, “Thor, Loki and I are going to go have another talk after dinner. We might be gone a while again, but if you and Darcy want some more s’mores, the supplies are in the brown pack.”

Thor lifted his head from eating his burger to listen to her before giving her a soft nod looking over curiously at Loki, wondering if he had been having more thoughts of Frigga and needed Jane’s reassurance once more. Loki had seemed much better after their talk, so Thor was happy to hear Loki had someone he could confide in. “Of course. Although I may pass on the dessert for tonight.”

The bite of food in Loki’s mouth was heavy as he forced it to go down. He suddenly felt bad that Jane had to spank him.

Jane continued to eat her dinner although it was slower than she normally ate as she also didn’t relish the thought of what she had to do. She did finish before Loki though as he was still nursing nibbles off of his first burger by the time she’d finished hers. “I’m heading to my tent.” She addressed Loki fully now, “When you’re finished eating, you know where to find me.” She bent down to give Thor a quick kiss and squeezed his shoulder fondly before she headed to her tent.

After Jane left, Loki finished eating rather fast. His first instinct was to continue eating slow, but he didn't want to find out what would happen if he kept Jane waiting very long. He walked over to the water spigot to wash his hands and face and to get a quick drink. Afterward, he sauntered to his tent and grabbed up a blanket. For what purpose, he didn't know. It just felt comforting to do. He wrapped it around him. Glancing over at Thor and Darcy still sitting by the fire, he made his way over to Jane's tent.

"J-Jane?" he called softly.

Jane had been waiting for him and unzipped the tent flap climbing out when she heard his voice. She gave him a look that showed she was satisfied he’d come and not made a spectacle of the situation. Once she climbed out, she grabbed a small backpack and turning away from Loki began to move down the mountainside towards the river where there were trees and other visual obstacles to keep their soon-to-be-meeting private. She merely stated, “Follow me,” before she began trekking off, never once looking back to see if Loki was following her.

Loki kept pace behind Jane, keeping silent for the whole walk there. Every so often he looked up at her, wanting to say something but not able to get the words out. He looked at her backpack curiously, wondering why she had decided to bring it with her. But then he remembered the blanket wrapped tightly around him and thought better about questioning it. Clearly, the moment was awkward enough as it was.

They walked a good ten minutes away from their camp. Jane wanted to be sure that where she took Loki they would definitely have their privacy. She looked around then for a place to carry out the deed finally coming upon a fallen log that wasn’t overly rotted. “Here.” She pointed as she straddled the log and pulled a blanket out of her own pack stretching it across the log, so that it was directly in front of her. “I want you to come over here and bend over the log onto this blanket.”

Loki hesitated, worriedly looking from the log to Jane. "Jane, listen...y-you don't have to do this. I'm really sorry. I-I feel awful about everything. For once I'm telling the truth. I really do feel awful. I know what I did was wrong. I was just...afraid that Darcy would do something with the picture. I never meant to disappoint you or break my promise. I just...did it without thinking. I made a mistake. Believe me, I wish we could go back to the way it was earlier today. If you want me to, I'll...I'll apologize to Darcy. Anything, just don't do this." Tears started building in his eyes. This whole moment felt like a nightmare. The idea of Jane spanking him unnerved him greatly. He felt like running, but he knew that would only make things worse. He'd probably have Thor and Jane both spanking him at the same time then.

Jane had a pitying look now. "Loki, we're not going back now. I know this is hard for you, but we both know that we have to finish what we've started here. I'm sorry, but to stop now is not going to help you in the long run. You've admitted that you did it without thinking, so this is going to ensure that you do consider the consequences of your actions the next time you're presented with such a choice. Now please come here. Don't make this harder than it has to be."

Some of her words sounded just like Thor, Loki noted. He frowned distastefully and took a few steps forward, stopping. His mind searched for ways to stall, at least long enough where he could maybe convince her to change her mind. He grabbed hold of his pants and asked the question he dreaded hearing an answer to.

"D-do these come down?"

Jane wasn't going to make Loki drop his pants, but then she thought better of it and nodded yes. Thor would have had him take them down, and he likely had good reason to do so. Besides, Thor had a lot more power to deliver a punishment, so even though she'd brought a brush to help make up the difference, it was probably best that she be able to see her intended target area.

Loki felt sick as he took the blanket off him and tossed it over the log. He turned around with his back facing Jane and slowly unzipped his pants and tugged them down to just below his rear. He left his boxers in place. Holding onto his pants to keep them from falling down to his ankles, he turned around to face Jane again.

“There’s got to be another way?” he said softly. “C-can’t we just talk it over and forget it ever happened? Please?"

"No, we can't just forget it ever happened. And we already tried talking, Loki. Talks ended when you decided to dump Darcy's phone in the cooler. Now we've moved to reaction and consequence," Jane explained evenly.

Loki took a few more slow steps forward, stopping directly in front of Jane. Jane being the one to deliver the punishment, this time, threw his mind into not knowing how to react. Some part of him knew he deserved the spanking, but the biggest part of him wanted to fight back in every way possible. He chewed at his lip and held his head down, his fingers playing at the zipper on his pants. His eyes glanced over at the log and the blanket draped over it. Then he looked at Jane, studying her hands and then lifting his gaze to her face. At least her hands weren't as big as Thor's, he thought. But he still couldn't bring himself to willingly give in to this sort of thing. Why would anyone do that?

Jane stared at Loki expectantly for long minutes before lifting an eyebrow as if to quietly point out that she was running out of patience.

“Won’t this be really awkward for you?” he suddenly said. “Spanking a Norse god out in the woods?”

Jane rolled her eyes. "I don't suppose it is any stranger than sleeping with one. You're stalling, Loki. I'm going to give you to the count of three, and if you're not over this log by the time I get to three, I'm going to march back to camp, and you can have this conversation with your brother. Which would you prefer? 1...2..."

Loki’s eyes widened. Awkwardly, still trying to keep his pants from falling, he got down on his knees and put the front part of himself over the log. Not exactly bent all the way over it, but enough where he hoped Jane was satisfied. He worriedly and cautiously looked at her out of the corner of his eye.

For Jane's part, she wasted no time yanking Loki's boxers down and reached into her pack to snatch out the oval shaped brush she'd brought along and giving him a hearty swat."You need to move up on the log fully, so I can do this properly."

Loki’s face blushed as he felt his boxers yanked down. He wasn’t sure how he was going to make it through this humiliation.

“Ow!” he yelped and jumped when the brush came down. He threw his hands behind him to shield his rear and to rub out the sting. That did not feel like her hand. Frowning, he looked over his shoulder and caught sight of the brush in Jane’s hand. His mouth hung open as his eyes darted from it to Jane. Whimpering, he moved forward until his head was almost touching the ground on the other side. “I thought you were going to use your hand,” he sniveled.

Jane sighed, taking a moment to move Loki’s hand to the small of his back. “My hand? Loki, you and I both know my hand would not be able to deliver the punishment necessary to make this spanking have an effect on you. I’m not nearly able to deliver a firm slap like Thor, but I’m hoping my improvising will do the trick.” As she moved Loki’s hand and continued to speak, her other hand wielding the brush now started coming down in quick succession, peppering his bottom with quick snaps of the brush.

“Ahhhh!” Loki winced and jerked forward, squirming. He kicked his legs against the ground as the sting from the brush built up in his cheeks. “OW! It hurts! It hurts! Ah!” Jane just got started and already he felt like he was at his limit. His heart sank knowing that the worst of the spanking was yet to come.

Jane pulled Loki into her hip to steady him from moving away as she continued to rain steady blows evenly across the entirety of his bottom. “It’s supposed to hurt, Loki. It wouldn’t be a punishment if it didn’t.”

Loki squealed when the brush landed on his underside and he squirmed harder, using his free hand to pull himself forward out of Jane’s hold. Tears stung his eyes and spilled down his cheeks. “Owwwww! Jane, no more, please! I’ve had enough! I said I was sorry!” He used his leg to push against Jane, trying to roll away from her and moving his bottom out of the way of the brush.

“Loki! You need to stop! Put your butt back over this log. We’re not done until I say so,” Jane chided as she tugged at his shirt unbalancing him to wobble on the log where she could swat him again.

Loki started to cry heavily as he complied, rolling into the position he had been in and moving his rear back in place.

It hurt Jane’s heart to hear Loki cry, but she focused on the task at hand as stopping now would be a disservice to the both of them. Once Loki moved back into place, Jane placed her hand firmly hooked around his hip to help keep Loki from bucking away from her again as she laid half of her body across the small of his back to weigh him down as well as keep his hands from interfering as she renewed her efforts with the brush on his posterior. “I’m sorry, Loki. I don’t want to do this to you, but we both know I need to.”

Loki screeched and bawled and squirmed in Jane's hold as the brush came down in loud smacks. His feet dug into the ground, his cheeks tightening and clenching. Unfortunately, the targeted area that she focused on was his underside. He didn't want to make the situation difficult for Jane, but he couldn't help it. That cursed brush was fast building a fire in his seat! He admitted that it wasn't as bad as the spatula Thor had used on him, but it was bad enough. But then again Thor had a harder swing than Jane did, which made it a lot worse. He twisted around, trying to look over his shoulder as a loud sob burst out.

Jane made sure to concentrate her efforts on the areas where Loki sat knowing they were the most sensitive, and that the punishment needed to serve well as a reminder for the incident to not be easily repeated. She did her best to ignore the feeling to stop the punishment as she listened to Loki’s desperate cries; all she wanted to do right now was stop and wrap Loki in a hug to comfort him. Instead, she kept on focusing on why she had to do it, and that convinced her that maybe that’s exactly what Loki also needed to be doing. “Tell me now, Loki, why are we here?”

"I already told you!" Loki choked out.

“Tell me again now,” Jane prompted.

“OW! Okay, okay! I-I put Darcy’s ph-phone in the cooler!” he sobbed.

Jane was silent as she methodically continued to splatter the brush down in even strokes sometimes lingering in one spot before moving on to another. “That’s part of it. What else, Loki?”

“Yow!” Loki jerked forward and screamed. Fear hit him like a brick. What else? What else was there? All he did was knock the phone in the cooler. He didn't know what else there was.

“I-I don’t know! Ow! I don’t know what else there is!” he cried out through hitched breaths. "I knocked the phone into the cooler!"

“And you broke your promise to me,” Jane affirmed with an array of extra hard swats.

Loki cried out his misery as the harder swats hit home, and he began squirming anew. “I’m sorry, Jane! I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to! I-I-I don’t want to hurt you or make you sad!”

“But you did, Loki,” she stated woefully as her hand continued its work. “You put your own desires for petty revenge above your word, and now you’ve broken trust between us. You can get it back, but you’re going to have to work to earn it.”

Loki breathed heavily, more tears spilling out of his eyes. Jane’s words cut him deeply and hurt far more than the spanking she was currently giving him.

“I’m sorry. Please, forgive me,” he said hoarsely. “I’ll do anything just to put this behind us.”

Jane nodded. “And we will. Understand I must know that you fully realize the error of your ways, so I cannot just stop, but I will give you twenty more, and we’ll consider your lesson learned. I need you to reflect on why we’re here. Why I have had to go so far as to spank you now. Do you understand?” She paused the spanking as she spoke because she wanted Loki to hear her clearly before she continued.

"Twenty mor—" Loki stopped what he was about to say and quickly nodded his head, sobs still coming. "Yes! I understand! I broke my promise!"

Having affirmation that Loki fully understood the ramifications of his actions, Jane now laid into him making sure these last twenty would be the harshest she had delivered yet. She wanted to be sure to make a point, and so, she paused between each swat drawing it out long enough for Loki to feel each impact fully as well as have a moment to dwell on the fact of why he was here.

“YOW!” Loki screamed out, arching his back. His mouth hung open and he squinted his eyes closed. When the second swat landed, he gasped out and began to scramble and claw at the ground with his free hand. He whimpered miserably as several more hard swats came down.

Jane exacted each swat precisely with crisp blows that were meticulously directed at the most sensitive under curve of Loki’s bottom where the cleft of his butt met his thighs. Jane aimed to hit these same spots so that Loki would smart for some time every time he sat down as a reminder of what his deed had cost him.

"Owwwwwwww!" Loki wailed and choked. He jerked and gritted his teeth with every swat. Halfway through, his energy finally gave out and he went limp in Jane's hold. As much as he hated admitting it, he really did deserve this spanking. He felt horrible about breaking his promise to Jane as well as losing her trust. He never meant for that to happen. She was the one person he could confide in and he'd ruined everything. Squinting his eyes closed, he sobbed heavily and miserably as Jane continued to bring the brush down hard on his well-blistered backside. This moment was supposed to be private between the two of them, but his thoughts now dwelt on the fact that he was going to have to somehow keep his soreness a secret from Darcy and Thor over the next several days, lest they ask what was wrong with him. Fresh tears ran down his face.

Jane finished the last of the twenty swats, grateful to toss the brush back in her bag. It was done! She was thankful as she didn’t know that she would make it through the final whacks the brush needed to deliver with the pitiful cries Loki had been emitting. She felt worse when she had seen halfway through that he’d finally given in fully to the punishment, lying limply and accepting it even though his bottom still trembled in anticipation awaiting the next promised pain the brush vowed to dispense upon his already very sore rear. But she too knew that she needed to be strong and stay committed, so when the last stroke had landed, she ever so gently eased his boxers back into place before moving her hand to gently pet his disheveled hair out of his face as she said softly, “It’s over now, Loki. All is forgiven, okay?”

He didn’t say anything. Instead, he squinted his eyes closed and turned his head away from her, continuing to choke out heavy sobs mixed with hitched breaths. Finally, he nodded.

They stayed there for some time while Loki worked to get himself under control, and Jane continued to run her fingers lovingly through his hair. She didn’t speak now letting the silence reign outside of Loki’s hitched sobs calling out to her for solace, and that was what she intended fiercely to give him now. 

Loki continued to lie still, enjoying the feel of Jane's hand in his hair. He kept his eyes closed and fought to get his breathing under control. Finally, he slowly and shakily eased himself up, sliding back and struggling not to trip on his pants, which were still bunched up around his knees. He gave a sharp cry of pain and winced as he straightened. His intentions had been to sit beside Jane on the log, but that wasn't going to happen. So instead he settled for kneeling. He put his hands behind him and felt of his sore and numb cheeks.

"My butt feels like it's on fire," he hissed out in a gasp through his teeth as he rubbed at his rear. He twisted around and pulled the back part of his boxers down enough to peek at the damage, cringing at the redness. When he realized what he was doing in front of Jane, he quickly pulled his boxers back up, his already red face turning even redder. He cleared his throat and began pawing at his wet eyes with his hands.

Jane gave him a small smile as she moved a loose strand of hair that had fallen in his face back behind his ear. “I would assume so; I did just finish blistering your butt with my brush.”

A pout formed on Loki's snot and tear-stained face, his eyes looking around for the dreaded implement that had just caused him so much anguish. Not seeing it, he turned a look to Jane. He wasn't sure what to say or do. If it had been Thor, he knew he would just give quick comfort and leave him, which was something he secretly hated. Compared to Frigga, Thor badly lacked in the spanking aftercare department. But Loki felt that Jane was different. Not able to contain himself any longer, he sniffed back a few tears, uttered a whimper, and stretched his hands toward the woman in a gesture that he wanted a hug and wanted to be closely held. He suddenly felt very vulnerable and wanted comfort and protection, and he also wanted to be reassured that he was truly forgiven.

Jane reciprocated the hug almost instantly having wanted to comfort him badly after causing him such pain. She held him to her tightly now letting his head lay on her shoulder.

Loki wrapped his arms around Jane and buried his face in her shoulder. He didn't think he had any tears left to cry, but as Jane embraced him he found that he still had some that freely flowed out of his eyes. He wanted to be mad at this woman for spanking him, but he couldn't find it within himself to show any anger towards her. He fully admitted that he had done wrong and had deserved every bit of the spanking she had given him, even if it did leave a bad taste in his mouth.

"I'm sorry," he sobbed, his voice sounding muffled. "Ar-are we still friends? D-d-do I still hold a special place in your heart?" He feared what Jane's answers would be. Although he couldn't blame her if she didn't want to be friends with him anymore. No one else did.

Jane gripped him even tighter. "Of course you still hold a special place in my heart! You'd have to do a lot worse than this to get me to stop caring about you, Loki." As she finished speaking, Jane kissed the top of his head tenderly to let him know he was still cared for.

Loki relaxed in her arms. Although fear still stabbed at him at hearing her words. He didn't know what she meant by 'worse', but he hoped he never did anything that would be considered worse. His sobs had, by now, calmed to sniffles. He sighed. Despite the pain that radiated over his rear, he was finally in that secure place he had longed to be in ever since he'd lost Frigga. Exhaustion overcame him and he felt his eyes closing.

Jane felt him relax into her, and she let out a contented sigh. She just rocked slowly as she held him now, letting Loki decide when he was ready to pull away.

Loki tried to keep awake as long as he could. But when Jane started rocking him, he completely gave in and let sleep overtake him.

Jane noticed Loki seemed so spent that he passed out. She assumed that the whole ordeal had been quite an emotional overload for him, so she let him stay that way for a long way before gently coaxing him. "Hey there, you. We got to get headed back before Thor and Darcy start looking for us, thinking something might be wrong."

Loki stirred, letting go of Jane.

“I didn't mean to fall asleep," he said as he eased himself to standing. "Ow, ow, ow." He grimaced. He quickly snatched his pants and pulled them up and zipped them. He wiped at his face and then turned to Jane. "Do I still look like I've been crying?" He was still thinking about Thor and Darcy seeing him.

“It’s okay; you looked like you needed a moment.” She wiped away a stray tear from his cheek as she gave him a soft smile. “Maybe a little, but we’ve got a long walk ahead of us, so you should look fine by the time we make it back to camp.”

He nodded, wiping his nose and eyes and running his hands over his hair to smooth it down. He picked up the blanket he’d brought and wrapped it around him as he waited for Jane to gather her things. He winced as he rubbed at his bottom.

Jane put her own blanket back in her backpack as well as the brush, cinching it and tossing it over her back before brushing herself off and looking back to Loki with concern. “How are you doing?”

Loki scowled. “How do you think?”

Jane frowned, not liking Loki’s attitude. “Well, if you’re going to give me high levels of sass, maybe we’re not quite done?”

Loki’s scowl disappeared and he whimpered. “N-no, we're done. I'm good. Sore, but good."

Jane seemed satisfied with his answer as she gave him a small nod. “Good. We can head back now. It’s starting to get dark.”

Loki walked up to her and held his hand out to her for them to hold hands as they walked.

Jane smiled as she took it, and they began walking with their hands swinging in unison as they went.

As they walked, Loki stopped occasionally to tug at the seat of his pants with his other hand, wincing.

"I'll be glad when I can change into my pajamas," he grumbled. "I don't ever want to see your hairbrush again."

Jane laughed. “Well don’t pull any stunts like that again, and you won’t! At least not in that manner. I will say that I’m glad it’s over with as I don’t ever want to do that to you again either.”

"That makes two of us." His cheeks turned red. "You seeing my bared behind is about as bad as the spanking itself."

“It’s kind of necessary to be able to see what I’m doing and monitor that I’m not hurting you…more than intended anyway.” Jane now blushed at the topic of their conversation.

He looked her up and down. "Just between you and me; I'm actually glad it was you instead of Thor." He continued to rub at his butt. "Thor spanks me so hard, even when he pulls my pants down." He frowned. "Stupid Thor doesn't know his own strength."

She smirked. “I’ll keep that in mind.”


	16. Blackmail

They both made it back to camp to see that Thor and Darcy had moved from the chairs to a blanket next to the fire where Darcy was attempting to teach him how to play Crazy Eights. “No, Thor! You can’t show me your hand!” Darcy laughed.

Thor turned to see the two approach, obvious relief on his face. “I was starting to get worried. You two were gone for a while.”

Jane smiled wide, leaning down to wrap her arms around him and give him a kiss. “Loki and I had to have a serious conversation, but everything is fine now.”

Loki took this opportunity to sneak off to his tent where he quickly changed into his pajamas, basking in the comfort the loose fitting, silky pants gave to his scorched bottom. He walked out of the tent and over to the water spigot where he took a drink and washed the dried tears and snot from his face. When he was finished, he leisurely walked over to join the others. Quietly, he walked up next to Jane.

Jane had taken a seat next to Thor in the time that Loki had washed up and changed. As Loki walked up, Jane waved him over. “Come sit down, Loki; we can all get in on a game of Spades with four players.”

“I’d rather stand if you don’t mind,” he replied, putting his hands behind him. “I’ll just watch you play.”

Thor, not knowing Loki’s current predicament, grabbed his wrist and playfully yanked him down on the blanket with a laugh. “Oh, come on, Loki! You love games! Surely you’ll best me and it will bring a smile to your face.”

Loki’s eyes widened at the pain that shot through his butt when it came in contact with the ground. “OW!” he cried out before he realized he’d said anything. He cringed, quickly rolling over to rest on his hip to keep the weight off his rear. He shot Thor an angry scowl at the same time. He wanted to blurt out some colorful words and insults, but he held his tongue. It was then that he slowly looked over at Darcy’s staring face.

Darcy noticed when Thor had pulled Loki down that his pajama shirt had flipped up, and just enough of his buttocks had been revealed to show it was not fully pale. Her eyes widened, but she didn’t say anything. She wondered if it had just been a figment of her imagination until she saw the way Loki had reacted to hitting the ground.

Thor looked worried. “Did I hurt you somehow?” He knew he didn’t know his own strength sometimes, and with Loki being depowered, he had to wonder if he hadn’t monitored himself well enough having actually caused Loki harm.

“N-no, you didn’t hurt me.” He swallowed, choosing his words carefully. “I…uh…accidentally sat down on one of those prickly plants Jane calls a cacti when we were on our walk. My...backside doesn't feel good right now.”

Thor looked perplexed, and Jane had to stifle a chuckle at Loki’s excuse. She wasn’t about to call him out on it, but Darcy stared at him shrewdly on the verge of putting two and two together.

“That is most unfortunate, brother. I am sorry. I meant you no harm,” Thor apologized.

Loki nodded in reply to Thor's apology, moving into a position that was comfortable. He glanced over at Darcy, meeting her stare.

She just lifted an eyebrow at him, a slow smirk playing across her mouth. She refrained from saying anything, though, as the thoughts she was thinking were a bit much for even her to wrap her mind around.

Jane asked, motioning to the cards, “So, does this mean you’re in?”

Loki looked at the cards. “I'd like to, but...I'm kinda tired. Maybe some other time. I’ll just lie here and watch and help you cheat.” He smirked, giving her a wink.

She laughed and Thor gave Loki a knowing smile, and for the next couple hours the three played cards and Loki watched on, interjecting little bits here and there when appropriate. As it started getting late, Jane and Thor started making eyes at one another and excused themselves, leaving just Darcy and Loki by the fire pit.

Darcy looked at Loki as she pooled the cards together to put them away as she asked nonchalantly, “So, don’t lie to me, did you dump my phone in the ice chest?”

Loki’s face went pale as he slowly looked over at the girl. He rolled over on his stomach and began playing at the folds in the blanket.

“Why would you ask something like that?” he answered slowly. “I thought we came to the conclusion that it fell off the chair.”

Darcy nodded slowly. “Uh-huh. That’s what was said. Now, whether I believe it or not…” She purposefully trailed off now as she watched the trickster out of the corner of her eye.

Loki looked up at her. “Why are you looking at me that way?"

“Guilty conscience?” Darcy now looked at him fully, daring him.

Loki's eyebrows rose. Why was Darcy asking him all of these questions all of a sudden? How did she know?

"Just because I'm a trickster, you think I knocked your phone in the cooler? Why would I even want to do something like that?"

Darcy’s brow drew down as she reached over and pulled his pajama bottoms down with one swift pull as she huffed, “I knew it! When you fell you were acting peculiar, and I could have sworn I saw a patch of red on that butt of yours! You forget, I was there when Thor tanned your hide, I know how pale your skin is! Oh man! That means Jane...No way!”

“Darcy!” Loki yelled, pushing her hand away and quickly pulling his pants back up. He scowled dangerously at her, his cheeks burning up to his ears. “What’s wrong with you?" He then looked startled. "How could you have seen a patch of red awhile ago?"

Darcy held a bemused smirk now. “I saw it when you fell; those silk pajamas you like to wear are a bit big on you if you hadn’t noticed.”

Loki’s face turned into a pout. He glanced at his pants then looked back to Darcy.

“Okay, so I knocked your phone in the cooler. Jane found out and spanked my butt for it. You happy now?” He rested his head on his folded arms, turning away from Darcy. “Just leave me alone.”

Darcy couldn’t help but smile broadly. “Uh, yeah, although to be honest, I should have been the one to do it since it was my phone.” She darted her hand out and brought it down hard with two swift slaps, one on each of Loki’s butt cheeks, wanting to make a point of her own.

“OUCH!” Loki shouted, his feet flying up. He threw his hands back and rubbed his rear vigorously, his pants inching down in the process to reveal his reddened backside. Gasping at the new pain Darcy’s palm had awakened in his already sore rear, he shot Darcy a daggered glare, his face reddening. “How dare you!” he growled.

Darcy lifted an eyebrow at Loki’s anger as her smile widened. “Indeed. How dare me! Hey, I wonder what Thor would think of all this, eh? Hey, Thor!” Darcy called almost loud enough for Thor to hear as she smiled wickedly at Loki now.

Loki reached over and placed his hand over Darcy's mouth, nervously looking toward Thor's tent.

"Shhhh! Thor doesn't have to know. Besides, I've already paid for my wrongdoings. Jane can testify to that since she blistered my butt good with her hairbrush. You weren't even supposed to know!" He turned to look at the tent again then turned back to Darcy. "It's your fault anyway. If you had just minded your own business and hadn't taken that picture of me sucking my thumb none of this would have happened!"

Darcy shook his hand away from her face. "Oh? It's my fault now, is it? Really? I think we totally need to ask Thor. Thor!" She called out again in the direction of his tent. She purposely said it just loud enough to make Loki cringe and low enough to not actually be heard.

Loki let out an unexpected squeaky whimper, worriedly looking over at the tent again. "Nononono, don't! Please! I beg of you. I'm sorry about the phone. Really I am. It was wrong of me to do. I'll do anything. Just please don't drag Thor into this." He turned a tearful, pleading face up at her, his bottom lip trembling slightly. The firelight revealed shiny tear streaks on his cheeks where a few tears had already escaped his eyes. He glanced at the tent one more time before turning a nervous smile to Darcy, patting her hand. He made sure to keep his voice low. "Please, Darcy. I'm already sore. Thor will see to it that I won't sit down for several weeks if he finds out. Plus we're out here in the wilderness. He'll use a switch on me. Do you have any idea how much one of those stings?"

Darcy's smile turned malicious. "Well, that phone was top of the line...Yeah, I think you're going to need to work that off. You, Thor, and that switch might need to talk about it, that or else I really, really think you're going to want to get on my good side. You dig?"

Loki held her gaze a few minutes, gnawing on his lip. He turned to look back at his disheveled pajama pants and partly exposed bottom, and then looked at the nearest tree and finally back to Darcy. He didn’t know what the girl had in mind for him, but at the moment anything sounded better than a switch lighting up his butt like a piece of hot metal. He nodded that he understood, swallowing. If he could just keep Darcy pleased until morning, he could tell Jane what had transpired between them. Surely she could talk reason into the girl and get him off the hook. After all, his rear had already paid for everything. It was over with. As far as Loki was concerned, Darcy was just being mean.

Darcy's smile broadened as she swung her feet around to prop them in front of Loki. "Well, first of all, all that walking has really tired out my feet. How about you work on your foot rubbing skills, and from there, I'll figure out more things I think you might be good at like carrying my bag to the lake tomorrow! We are going to be BFFs!"

Loki wrinkled his nose. “I’m not going to rub your feet.”

"Yes, you are. Unless you want to talk to Thor about how nicely you handled my phone...or how nicely Jane handled you. I mean, whatever." She shrugged her shoulders, bopping her head back and forth with glee at Loki's predicament.

Loki scowled at her, reaching out to take hold of her foot and rubbing it. “You’re nothing but a bully,” he mumbled. “Worse than that green guy.”

"Yeah, yeah, ow. A little lighter and to the left," Darcy said as she waved him off and leaned back, obviously enjoying the power she was holding over him.

Loki's scowl turned into a sneer as he did as she requested.

"You'd better not tell Thor about me sucking my thumb either," he said. "He doesn't know I still do that. I can destroy the evidence you took, but I can't do anything with what you already know. And I'm warning you right now to not tell him."

Darcy smirked. "We'll see. It's going to depend on how well you serve me. Who would have thought that I'd ever have a god waiting on me hand and foot! Yeah, this is totally going in today's diary as well as think about not telling Thor you still suck your thumb like a baby."

Loki’s glare turned darker, then he smirked amusingly as he twisted one of her toes the wrong way.

“Just to let you know. If you make a deal with the trickster, you’d better watch your back, because the trickster always gets even after everything is over.”

Darcy reflexively kicked Loki in the chest when he twisted her toe. "Ow! Do that again, and there isn't going to be a deal only pain for your already reddened butt when I tell your brother what you did!" she seethed, narrowing her eyes at him.

Loki held her gaze as he rubbed at his chest. He huffed and grabbed her other foot to rub it.

“By the way," he continued in a low voice, "don’t pull my trousers down again like you did awhile ago."

She smirked at him now, sitting up a bit. "Why? Does that bother you?" The tone in her voice stated that she definitely planned to irritate him further knowing that it, of course, did bother him deeply.

He stopped rubbing her foot long enough to glance up at her then started rubbing again. "Yes, of course, it does. I don't like it."

Darcy practically beamed as she lay back crossing her arms under her head. "Well, I'll tell you what; you behave yourself, do what I tell you when I tell you, and I'll deeply consider it."

Seeing that Darcy wasn't looking, Loki made a face and stuck his tongue out at her.

By the time she had turned back to him she was looking up at the night sky a devious grin painting her face. “You know what you could do next? I’m thinking since you are doing such a great job rubbing my feet, we can have a whole spa night! You can cut my toenails, and I’ve got some nice colors and nail polish remover in my bag, so you can paint them too! Doesn’t that sound like fun?” She exuded sarcasm now having entirely too much fun putting Loki through hell.

He gave her a pitiful look. “I was going to ask if I could go to bed.”

Darcy nodded. “Certainly…once you finish tending to my feet.” She winked at him then and stood up. “I’ll just go fetch those items you’re going to need, so you can get started. I know you’ll want to get to bed soon, but I don’t want you to do a sloppy job, or we’re just going to have to paint them all over again, and you wouldn’t want that I’m sure.” She chuckled to herself as she made her way to the tent to gather the items as well as a book to read while Loki worked.

While Darcy was gone, Loki got up and moved to a different position, cringing and tugging his pants up. There was no way he would be able to sit on the hard ground. He needed a pillow.

It hadn’t taken Darcy long as she practically skipped back over to the blanket with, much to Loki’s surprise, a pillow. Of course, he realized quickly as she sat down and got comfortable that she hadn’t read his mind, she was just getting herself ready to be pampered. She tossed the nail kit in front of him. “Okay, it’s pretty easy to figure out.” She plucked the nail clippers out of the bag, demonstrating. “You clip like so. Not too close to the nail bed, only the whites of the nail. Oh, and let me be clear, if you cut me, I will so get Thor over here faster than your head can spin!” She gave a curt nod, tossing the clippers at Loki then. 

Loki looked down at the clippers then back to Darcy, his face looking quite disgusted and ill. He was tired and hurting. He just wanted to curl up on his side of the tent, go to sleep, and forget the world existed.

“May I go get a pillow to sit on?” he asked, finally. “The blanket doesn’t pad me enough.”

Darcy leaned up smirking as she responded. “Yeah, sure. Just don’t leave me waiting too long, or I may find the need to go find other company.” She was positively loving seeing how Loki squirmed. Served him right after everything he’d put her through and then to top it off destroyed her phone!

Loki quickly got up and ran a short distance before slowing down to a walk. He turned to look back at Darcy, shooting her a dirty look that she would never be able to see. She'd pay dearly for all of this, he stewed as he walked to the tent. He stooped down and crawled inside and grabbed one of the big pillows from his side. When he came out again, he was so tempted to run off somewhere. It'd be easy, seeing that the area around the camp was dark. But Darcy would tell Thor and he'd come after him, and he did not want to find out how that would go down. He already knew that Thor would wear his butt out with a switch. He looked over at Jane's tent. He could sneak around and wake her up and tell her everything Darcy was doing to him. That's what he wanted to do. He wanted to crawl into her tent where he'd be safe.

Sighing, Loki walked toward Darcy. When he arrived at the edge of the blanket, he threw his pillow down in front of the girl and then moved to gingerly sit down in the middle of it.

Darcy only lifted her head, still wearing a smirk as she then wiggled her toes in his direction. “So glad you’re able to get comfortable for this, I know I am.” Her grin widened as she teased him carefully to make sure he didn’t cut her. Although she doubted he was stupid enough to hurt her, she still had to wonder a little.

Not saying anything, Loki grabbed the clippers and started to work. It took him a few minutes to get the hang of it, but he caught on quickly. He remained quite throughout the whole procedure, not daring to open his mouth for fear he might say something that would get him in bigger trouble. Finally, he finished and threw the clippers down.

“Ah, ah, ah slow down, Geronimo. We’re not done yet. Remember, these tootsies need painting. I’m thinking a lovely beige to go with my swimsuit tomorrow.” Darcy laughed as she pulled the polish out and handed it to Loki.

Giving the girl a hard, miserable stare, Loki reached out and snatched the bottle from her hand. "I do not know how to do this," he said.

She waved him off. “That’s okay.” She reached into her bag pulled out a rag and a bottle of nail polish remover. “See? If you make a mistake, try, try, try again.” There she plastered on an extra big grin as she placed the bottle and rag next to him just staring at him now waiting for him to comply.

Loki just sat there, pouting.

Darcy, of course, was unmoved by his sulking, finding it just added to her amusement. “Aw! Wus da madder? Is poor Woki upset?”

He frowned at her. "I want to go to bed."

“Well then, I suggest you get to painting there, so you can go post haste, buckaroo!” It was almost too much not to laugh she found.

Sighing wearily, Loki went to work. It took him several tries before he managed to get the toenails on one foot fully painted. He gagged on the foul odor of the polish, which spurred him on to finish as quickly as possible. When the last nail was painted, he put the cap back on the polish and handed it to Darcy.

"There, I am done. May I go to bed now?"

Darcy inspected his handiwork, it wasn’t the best, but it would seem Loki had some talent for painting as there were few flaws even if they were a bit goopy. She nodded in satisfaction. “Okay, yeah, this’ll do. You can go night, night, now.”

Grateful to finally get away, Loki stiffly stood up and turned his back to Darcy while he busied himself with tying the drawstrings on his pajama bottoms. But even though he tied them, the back part still drooped down enough to expose part of his crack and cheeks. He glanced behind him at his rear then at Darcy, his face turning red. He grabbed hold of his shirt and pulled the back part down to tuck down into his pants to hide his butt from view. He pulled his pants up as far as he could and tied the strings tighter.

“You didn’t see that,” he mumbled at the girl. “You know. Coming to think of it, I’m glad I destroyed your phone. You’d probably take a picture of my tanned rear, too, just for spite.”

Darcy had turned towards the fire letting her toes dry while she cracked open the book she had brought with her content to just read now after her torture session with Loki. She giggled to herself, tomorrow was going to be a blast!

Loki snorted, bent over to pick up his pillow, and stormed off toward the tent. Before he got there, he made a stop at the spigot to wash his hands. When he finally got inside the tent, he flopped down on his stomach, not even bothering to cover himself over with a blanket. He sighed, sticking a thumb in his mouth. He felt exhausted and wanted to sleep, but after everything that had gone over between him and Darcy, he was too angry to fall asleep. Instead, he lay awake, staring at the tent’s side, fuming.

Darcy remained out on the blanket reading her book for about an hour before she too decided to head to bed. She shook off the blanket on the ground, picked it up and hung it on one of the chairs and trotted off to bed.

Loki was still awake and heard when Darcy entered the tent, but he kept quiet and kept as far away from the girl as he could possibly get, keeping his thumb tightly in his mouth and burying his face in his pillow.

Darcy didn’t notice that Loki was still awake only glancing toward him before climbing into her bedroll rolling on her side to make herself comfortable as she stared at the wall of the tent quite content with the way the night had ended.


	17. Everything Comes Out

When morning finally arrived, Loki woke up before Darcy. The night had been restless for him so he was glad to be up. Still dressed in his pajamas, he quietly walked out of the tent and made his way to Jane’s tent, stopping outside. He wasn’t sure if she was still asleep or somewhere around the campsite, so he was hesitant to enter. He nervously glanced at his own tent to make sure the crazy girl hadn’t woken up.

"Jane?" he softly called out.

Much to Loki’s surprise, Thor’s sleepy mug was the face that greeted him as the tent was unzipped. He blinked wearily. “Loki? Is something the matter?”

Loki's eyes widened and he stumbled backward. "I...No! Nothing's the matter. I was just wondering where Jane was."

Thor still obviously not awake mumbled, “I think she said something about a shower.”

Loki nodded. He walked away from the tent, throwing a glance over at the tent where Darcy still slept. He carefully made his way to the showers. When he arrived, he stood and waited for Jane to come out, all the time nervously wringing his shirt in his hands. He yawned, suddenly feeling sleepy since he had lost a lot of sleep that night. Getting tired of standing, he eased himself down on his stomach on the ground and drifted off to sleep.

“Loki?” Jane’s voice called out to him from above him. She shook him now, a hint of worry tingeing her voice, “Are you okay?”

Loki’s eyes fluttered open and he smiled when he looked up into Jane’s face. Without answering Jane’s question, he lifted himself to standing and wrapped his arms around her without any explanation. He nuzzled his face into her wet hair, sighing happily and feeling like he might drift off to sleep again.

She chuckled softly, hugging him back. “Why are you out of bed so early? I didn’t expect to see you for a few hours now.”

"I wanted to find you before Darcy woke up," he said, leaning his head on her shoulder. "She's gone mad, Jane. She was so mean to me last night after you and Thor left."

“Mean to you? How so?” Jane’s brow crinkled as she studied Loki seriously now.

He pulled away from her. “She found out about me destroying her phone. Now she’s blackmailing me. If I don’t do what she wishes, she’ll tell Thor everything. Even after I told her that I’ve already paid for my wrongdoings at your hands, she still insists on treating me like her slave as payment for me dumping her phone in the cooler.” Loki sounded close to tears. “Jane, I spent all night pampering her feet! She wouldn’t let me go to bed until I finished. Then once I got in bed, I couldn’t go to sleep.”

Jane couldn’t help a small smile at the thought of Loki pampering Darcy’s feet, but she quelled it quickly enough shaking her head. “That’s not very nice. I’m sorry you had to go through that, Loki. I can talk to her, but it might be better if we instead go to Thor ourselves. Perhaps if we talk to him before he discovers what happened he’ll be less upset.”

Loki’s eyes widened. “No! I don’t want Thor to know about this whole mess. Just speak with Darcy. Tell her to lay off. She’s your friend. She’ll listen to you.”

Jane frowned. “I can do that, but I still think it’d probably be best if we did tell Thor as keeping it hidden is likely only going to anger him if he finds out. If we tell him now, you have a lot more chance to smooth out the outcome, but I’ll defer to you on this Loki. If all you want me to do is to talk to Darcy then that’s what I’ll do, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

Loki weighed her words a few minutes and then shook his head. "If Thor ever finds out what I did to Darcy's phone, he'll tan my hide himself. Besides, you said yourself that telling him would only hurt him and that you wanted to keep this between us since it also involved me breaking my promise to you. I never thought Darcy would find out about it. Just talk with her. I'm sure things will be better if you speak with her."

Jane seemed torn, on one hand, she had said that it would hurt Thor, but the more she thought about it, the more she wondered if not telling him would hurt him more. It was a lose-lose situation. "Alright, Loki, I'll talk to her, but I'm going to tell you now, if Thor asks, I'm not going to lie to him. That said, I won't volunteer what happened either. This whole situation has got me feeling very uncomfortable. How the heck did Darcy find out anyway?"

"Well...um..." Loki's cheeks flushed. "You know during your card game when Thor pulled me down? Darcy just happened to be looking that way at the time. And, well...I have a slight problem...with my pajama bottoms." He slowly turned around and lifted the back of his shirt to show Jane his partially exposed backside, which still had a pink hue. "I blame my tailor in Asgard for it. Normally I can keep it pretty well hidden with my top. It's an annoyance, but lately, I've come to welcome the looseness since it feels good on my..." He cleared his throat and changed the subject. "Anyway, Darcy saw that my rear was tinted red, and asked me about it after you left. Actually, she asked me if I did that to her phone. And everything went from there..."

Jane listened, nodding in understanding. "I see. She's a smart cookie, it's no wonder she put two and two together. She um...was present the last time..." Jane blushed for Loki knowing that fact must be humiliating.

Loki pulled his top down low and turned around to face Jane again, his cheeks still red. He averted her gaze, nodding.

“So…uh…what are our plans for today?” He smiled. "Something that doesn't involve Darcy, I hope."

Jane's smile twisted to the side, puckering in a way that was comical. "You know we're not leaving Darcy behind, silly. I will have a talk with her, though, but I can't control her."

Loki nodded. “Uh…if it’s okay, can I sleep a few more hours in your tent?” His sentence ended in a yawn. “At this point, I’d rather sleep beside Thor than Darcy.”

Jane tilted her head to the side. “Won’t that look a little suspicious to Thor? I don’t think Darcy is going to mess with you while you sleep. She usually stumbles about aimlessly until she has her coffee…and we forgot to pack the coffee.”

Loki gave a slight shrug. “It wouldn't be the first time I’ve gotten into bed with him. I used to do it all the time when I was a kid…when I had bad dreams.” Loki suddenly thought back on those moments as he stood there. “Maybe you’re right, though. It would look suspicious, wouldn’t it?”

She smiled, thinking about little Loki climbing into bed with his big brother, and her eyes shone with affection then. “That’s really sweet! You two are so adorable.” She giggled before blushing and realizing her tone might embarrass Loki, she continued, “I would just go back to bed in your own bed, I can almost assure you, she’ll leave you alone. We won’t be heading out to the lake to go swimming until this afternoon anyway, so you should be able to get some good rest.”

Loki wrinkled his nose at Jane’s comment but chose not to say anything. He secretly liked it, though. As long as he was getting attention, he didn't mind. Still smiling, he nodded and started walking back to the tent. When he arrived, he hesitated a few minutes and then went inside. Darcy was still asleep. He crawled carefully and quietly into his bed and got comfortable, lying on his stomach. Sticking his thumb in his mouth, he closed his eyes and fell asleep.

Darcy rolled out of bed about an hour after Loki went back to sleep, and, of course, Loki was sleeping on his stomach. He had his face turned from her, so she didn’t see his thumb in his mouth, but for a long moment she debated swatting his pert bottom as hard as she could and yelling ‘Wake up!’ just to see him squall and squirm, but she decided to be nice for once and let him be. She’d had quite a bit of fun at his expense, so she’d let him sleep.

She stumbled up and climbed out of the tent, zipping it behind her. Jane and Thor were sitting on the blanket by the fire where Jane was brushing out his hair while they shared each other’s company. Deciding not to intrude on their moment, Darcy gave them a small hello before making her way to the shower station below.

Loki turned his head over the other way, cracking his eyes open enough to take note of Darcy’s empty bed. He sighed in relief and snuggled back into his pillow. Finally, he had the tent to himself. Even though Jane was going to talk with Darcy, Loki still didn’t look forward to getting up and facing the girl. What if she would be mad at him for telling Jane? Pushing that thought aside, he went back to sleep with plans to sleep as long as he possibly could. 

Jane noticed Darcy leave for the showers, and once she’d gotten back, Jane went to work making some eggs for everyone. It was a simple affair, and once finished she hailed to Darcy, “Hey, Darcy, would you help me bring the dishes down to get washed?”

Darcy readily agreed, “Sure.” She helped Jane gather the dish soap and the dishes from that morning and last night, and the two of them made their way down the path while Thor milled about cleaning up the remainder of the camp.

Once they were out of earshot, Jane turned to Darcy, an agitated glare on her face. “So, Loki told me about last night’s antics. Not nice, Darcy!”

Darcy’s face was blank momentarily before she rolled her eyes. “Dude, I had to take advantage of the situation. He freaking threw my phone in the ice chest, Jane! I had to get a little revenge.”

Jane sighed. “I already took care of the situation, Darcy; you’re only making it worse by antagonizing him like you do.”

Darcy couldn’t help but let out a small laugh. “Yeah, I saw that you took care of him alright! Oh, my gosh, Jane! You never cease to surprise me, girl.”

They made it to the water station, and Jane dropped the dishes into the dish sink and turned to face Darcy now. “I asked Loki to leave you alone, and he told me he would. When he broke his promise, I asked him to let me punish him to not upset Thor, now you’re taking advantage of the situation. I don’t appreciate it, Darcy.”

Darcy frowned. “Geez. Touchy! Okay, okay, I’ll leave the little tattletale alone already. Oh! But check out my toes! He’s actually pretty good for a first timer.” Darcy lifted on her arches spinning in the sandals she was wearing.

Jane couldn’t help but look down at them and chuckle. “You know you’re a real turd, Darcy.”

Darcy laughed out loud now, smiling widely. “Yeah, just a little bit.”

They moved on to different subjects after that, and Jane hoped Darcy, unlike Loki, would keep her word to refrain from malicious intent.

Loki yawned and stretched, figuring it was time to get up after he had lain awake for several minutes. In that length of time, he hadn’t seen Darcy enter the tent. Part of him was still not looking forward to seeing her face to face again. By now he figured that she had had a talk with Jane, so he hoped things would be a lot better. He crawled out of the tent and straightened up. Seeing everyone gathered around the fire pit, he walked over to join them.

Darcy looked up at hearing the rustling of the tent and narrowed her eyes at him, giving him a sardonic glare before her lip curled into a smirk and she went back to reading the book in her hand.

Jane and Thor seemed to be talking about the differences between Midgard and Asgard, but both looked up with a warm smile to greet Loki and wish him a good morning although it was almost 10AM.

"Good morning," Loki said in return, smiling. Although the smile was directed mostly at Jane. He threw Darcy a half smile and a glance, barely acknowledging her. If he ignored her then maybe she'd go away.

Jane rose from the chair she was sitting in to grab a packaged muffin from her bag, tossing it to Loki. “We already had breakfast, but this should tide you over before we head down to the lake.”

Darcy pretended not to notice him at all as she continued to stare into her book while Thor continued the topic they’d previously been engaged in, “I do not see why you would think that magic is science. You and Stark seem to always have something to say on the matter, but I do not think they are one and the same.”

Jane responded, “You’re right, science has boundaries, it can be explained. But, I bet, if you break it down, I’m sure magic can be explained into a science as well.”

Loki listened to the debate while he munched on his muffin, only offering a few amused smiles. When he was finished, he stepped forward.

"I think the 'science' here is not what either of you thinks it is, including...Stark," Loki cut in. "The word 'science' can also refer to the knowledge, understanding, and mastery of a particular art form or area of interest or expertise that is obtained through dedicated study and practice. It's true, that our magic is not the same as your earth science. You cannot make illusions or turn people into animals with a few hand gestures using Midgard science. Midgard's idea of magic is a few simple parlor tricks done with sleight-of-hand and misdirection. Real magic as a whole is an art form, kind of like...music. You have to get the notes precise in order for the finished piece to come out right. Same with magic. You have to work hard at the science and get spells and incantations precise if you ever expect the finished piece to come out right. Otherwise, you might end up setting fire to something or turning the nearby guard into a guinea pig."

“So how many times did you set fires or turn unwitting guards into guinea pigs?” Darcy mused, knowing Loki didn’t currently have his magic from her and Jane’s many talks since Loki’s arrival.

Loki thought about not answering the girl, but seeing that it would probably just get him into more trouble, he approached the question as politely as possible.

"When I was first starting out, there were a lot of weird occurrences, some of which stayed between me and Mother. It happens until you get the hang of something. For the records, I set fire to my sleeves, trousers, and the draperies quite a number of times and turned many unsuspecting guards and servants into everything from a guinea pig to some beast that could not be identified as actually existing on any of the Nine Realms. Not to mention accidentally opening a portal to the dark dimension. Some of it I wasn't proud of, but like I said, it happens to any rookie."

Both the women couldn’t help but laugh to think about Loki’s trial and error with magic.

It didn’t help them to contain it as Thor added, “You should have seen how angry Father was when Loki had used a growing spell on one of the pond’s bullfrogs! That frog grew two full stories and took ten men to wrangle out of the grand hall!”

Loki smirked amusingly at the memory. "That was no accident, dear brother. And neither was that time when your trousers fell down in the middle of that boring conference we attended with Odin."

Thor looked less amused now. “Be careful what you admit, brother.” He was still giving Loki half of a smile, though, so Loki knew he wasn’t too terribly mad.

"What?!" Loki laughed. "All that happened a long time ago."

Thor nodded, pointing at him with a smile and a laugh. “Aye! Lucky for you!”

Loki flashed the women a nervous smile, then cleared his throat.

Jane smirked. “Alright, you guys, are you about ready to start heading to the lake?”

Loki glanced at himself. "Um, I need to change out of my pajamas first. It'll only take a few minutes."

Darcy, of course, smirked as her eyes followed Loki’s walk to the tent. Thor and Jane started gathering towels, having already changed earlier, as they waited for Loki to come out.

When arriving at the tent, Loki quickly changed and packed a few items into his knapsack. So far so good, he thought. The talk Jane had with Darcy must have done the trick. The girl hadn't said hardly a word to him. Maybe the day wouldn't be so bad after all. He threw his pack over his shoulder and exited the tent to join the others.

"Okay, I'm ready," he said, walking up to stand beside Jane.

Darcy moved into the tent grabbing her own supplies, and the four started heading down to the water. It wasn’t until Loki had gotten a few steps away from Jane, while Thor and Jane talked, did she sidle up to him and whisper, “You are such a little tattletale!”

Loki rolled his eyes. “I’m not your slave, Darcy. I had enough of that when I was under the Chitauri’s control. I told you I was sorry for what I did to your phone. Isn’t that enough?” He turned to look at her. “Why is a stupid phone that important?”

Darcy narrowed her eyes at Loki. “Why is it important? It’s only my lifeline! Not to mention it was MINE, and you,” She poked him in the chest, “destroyed it when I hadn’t even done anything to you except take a stupid picture!”

"A picture that would have been damaging," he corrected. "I was destroying evidence."

“No, you were destroying my property! The picture could have been deleted, but did you even ask me to? No!” Darcy seemed to be getting louder now, drawing the attention of Thor and Jane.

They looked back at Darcy and Loki and Thor queried, “Is all well?”

"Depends," said Loki. He turned back to Darcy. "Would you have deleted it?"

Darcy glanced at Thor and Jane who were watching them now; Thor in curiosity and Jane with mild disapproval. Darcy only smiled at them talking out of the side of her mouth to Loki, “Well now, you’ll never know will you?”

"You're the type that would have a backup copy," Loki whispered.

“Maybe, maybe not. Moot point now, though. And just so you know, I don’t consider us even.” Darcy gave him a sour look as she said this before walking ahead of him. Thor and Jane’s eyes followed her as they’d finally made it down to the lake, and Darcy was kicking off her sandals and shorts to dive in.

Loki walked up to stand in between Thor and Jane, not taking his eyes off Darcy.

Darcy wasted no time swimming out to bob in the water. “Woo! The water’s great, guys!”

Jane smiled placing her bag and towel beside Darcy’s stuff to also get into the water.

Loki gently eased himself down on the ground, trying to sit in a position that afforded him comfort, but failing. He growled and turned over to lie on his stomach and watched Jane in silence.

“Loki?” Thor asked looking at him curiously now, “Are you hurt?”

Loki went still, and then rolled his eyes, sighing. “I told you last night when Jane and I returned from our walk that I accidentally sat on a prickle plant.”

Thor nodded gravely. “Do you still have thorns you were unable to remove? If you need help, Jane has tweezers at the camp, I’ll help you get them out as I’m sure you’d have difficulty doing so yourself.”

Loki’s face went a little pale, his eyes widening. How was he supposed to answer Thor’s question?

“I…uh…I-I don’t know…” His voice trailed off as he looked up at his brother.

Thor’s eyebrow rose before smiling softly. “You need not be embarrassed, brother.”

Loki tensed. "I...haven't looked. But I don't think there are any still in me," he said softly, half expecting Thor to look right then and there. Sweat beaded on his forehead as he hoped his lie would appease Thor enough to drop the subject.

Thor just smiled giving him a nod. “Good. Well, then I will leave you to relax, brother.” Thor made his way to the lake then running and cannon balling towards the women who screamed out dodging to either side and laughing as they were drenched in the wake of Thor’s splash.

Loki visibly relaxed, exhaling the breath he'd been holding. He wiped at his face and suddenly realized that he had been gripping the grass. Letting go of it, he laid his head on his folded arms and watched the others swim.

The three seemed to be having a good time splashing and swimming about. Jane seeing Loki laying on the bank called out to him, “Aren’t you going to come in?”

Loki sighed. He wasn’t sure if he could do this without revealing too much to Thor. Maybe the redness had faded enough where it wouldn't show below his shorts. He moved around and took off his shoes and socks, then stood up and took off his jeans and shirt and threw them to the side. He looked down at the swimming shorts he had worn under his jeans, smoothing out some of the wrinkles. He chanced a glance behind him and was relieved to see there was no redness showing. Finally getting up enough nerve, he walked out into the water and swam up beside Jane.

Jane seemed pleased as they waded about in the water, just talking. After a while of just bobbing about, Jane was splashed in the face by Thor, to which she laughed, chasing after him. “I’m going to get you for that!” This created a game now where the four swam about, playing tag within the water and having a blast.

Loki splashed Darcy hard. "That's for everything you did last night," he whispered to her. "If I had my magic, I'd turn you into a goldfish."

Darcy fumed, and as Loki went to lunge away from her in the water, she snatched at his boxers, yanking them off entirely as she then turned fully swimming as fast as she could away from him and, much to Loki’s dismay, towards Thor.

He felt it happen. But it took Loki's mind a few seconds to fully comprehend what had actually happened. It wasn't until he saw his green shorts in Darcy's hand that it finally sunk in. Loki's mouth dropped open and his face turned as red as a beet. One hand automatically flew down into the water to cover his crotch. Ordinarily, swimming naked wouldn't be a problem for him, since that's the way he and Thor used to go swimming in their secret river when they were kids and teenagers. But here...there were ladies present. Every second he remembered that, his face turned redder.

"DARCY!" he shouted. "That wasn't funny! Give them back, now!" Loki flopped forward, trying to swim and at the same time keep one hand clamped over his privates. He stopped when he wasn't getting anywhere. And he couldn't understand why Darcy felt need to take his shorts to Thor. A chill ran down his spin when it hit him that his butt was also fully exposed now. He swallowed, lowering his free hand down into the water and feeling of the fresh tenderness that still lingered in his cheeks. If he stayed in the water until he could get his shorts back, maybe Thor wouldn't notice.

Darcy cackled evilly knowing full well what she was doing as she swam with a smirk thinking that it served him right! Turn her into a goldfish? Well Mr. Smarty Pants, let’s see you worm your way out of this. Laughing she tossed Loki’s shorts to Thor.

Thor caught them almost surprised as Darcy stated, “Here you go, Thor; you can give them back!”

Thor shook his head at Darcy, finding the girl peculiar as he waded towards Loki, whom had been working to get to Darcy and was in waist high water about ten feet away from him now.

Loki had stopped and waited for Thor to get to him. He held his hand out for the shorts.

"She's mad, Thor. Completely mad."

Thor chuckled, shaking his head as he handed the shorts back to Loki. “She’s strange that one. I gather she still holds a grudge over the snake.”

Jane swam over to Darcy now grabbing her by the bicep as she whispered harshly, “What was all that about?”

Darcy frowned, turning to fully face Jane. “I was being nice to your little friend, but then I took offense to his blatant disrespect and his threats to use his magic on me if he had it.”

Jane looked tired now as she responded, “You two argue like siblings. Are you satisfied now?”

Darcy sighed. “Yeah, sure. As long as he stops attacking me, I’ll stop attacking him.”

“She’s more than strange. She’s awful,” Loki grumbled as he snatched the shorts out of Thor’s hand and waded a little piece away, turning back to glance angrily in Darcy’s direction. He waded until his feet hit the ground. Here he turned around with his back facing the others as he concentrated on putting his shorts back on. He was so engrossed in his anger toward Darcy that he didn’t realize that he was way out of the water with his pink rear momentarily visible to Thor before he quickly covered it with his shorts.

With the paleness of Loki’s flesh, it was amazing that Thor had not been paying attention well enough to have noticed, but Jane had, and she blushed furiously. This had to end she decided then and there. She let go of Darcy’s bicep. “I’m tired of these shenanigans from both of you. I know you don’t know the whole story with Loki Darcy, but the way you’ve been acting has really disappointed me.” Jane waded away from her then heading towards Loki.

Darcy’s mouth hung open a moment before closing into a small pout. She thought about her actions and the fact that she had been being a tad mean even for her standards. Darcy sighed, sinking back into the water to swim back towards the shore now no longer having much fun.

Jane made it to Loki once his shorts were now back fully in place. She leaned over to talk to him now softly, “Loki, This whole thing has gone on long enough. I think we need to talk to Thor. I know you’re afraid, but I think it’s time to come clean. I’ll go talk to Thor first unless you want to?”

Loki stared at Jane, his mouth partly hanging open. His eyes moved to Thor as he thought. He knew Jane was right. As much as he enjoyed causing chaos, even he was becoming tired of everything too, especially the senseless way Darcy was acting toward him. Were mortals so obsessed with their gadgets and material things that they would stoop to putting down and harming another being over it? If that’s the way mortals acted, then he was glad he wasn’t one of them. Sure, he wasn’t perfect and he had done some horrible things himself, but still. Loki wanted the rest of their camping trip to be enjoyable, if not for anything else but so Jane would be happy. He was weary of living in fear of both Darcy and Thor. He had experienced enough fear while he was in the hands of the Chitauri. He wanted to be free of that feeling once and for all. He wanted to feel safe. If he got another spanking from Thor, it would be better to go ahead and get it over with and move on.

Finally, Loki sighed and nodded. “Anything, just so long as you will be happy for the rest of this trip.” He glanced at Thor again. “You talk to him. I think you would be better at explaining it. As messed up as this whole thing has become, I don't think it needs to come out of the mouth of a...liar.” He looked into Jane’s face, his eyes beginning to moist. “Just…please don’t let him spank me. I’ve already been punished enough. I know what I did was wrong. I’m not proud of it. Tell him that you've already done it.”

Jane nodded solemnly. “Alright, here goes then.” She took a deep breath and swam over to Thor. The two talked for a moment, and Thor looked concerned but followed as she led him by the hand out of the water. The two moved over to a rock face where Jane sat and Thor leaned against it; her head was lowered as she spoke, and occasionally Thor would look over at Loki and then Darcy. All times Thor looked vexed and unhappy, and finally, he gathered his towel and sandals and began walking back up to the camp alone.

Jane still sat, shoulders slumped, on the rock, watching him go but not following.

Loki found himself frozen to the spot he stood in and breathed hard as he watched Thor and Jane intently. Chills ran down him every time Thor had turned to look in his direction. And seeing Thor make his way back to camp made his stomach churn into a knot. He forced himself back into the water, where he waded over to where Jane sat. He dreaded knowing the outcome, but he really did want this to be over.

"H-how did it go?" he asked softly, coming up to stand beside Jane.

Darcy had sensed the tension of the conversation and had moved out of the water as well, taking a few steps toward Loki and Jane.

Jane sighed, not looking up yet. “Well, he’s not happy. He wants to talk to all of us up at the camp, but he’s asked to give him a little time to digest what I just told him.”

Loki numbly nodded, gently sitting down next to Jane. He kept his eyes lowered, picking a blade of grass to play with between his fingers.

All three were silent for long minutes before Darcy finally spoke, "What did you tell him?"

Jane just shrugged. "The truth. He had a right to be told. It was better than all this dancing on eggshells that we've been doing."

Loki shot Darcy a glare, still holding her responsible for the whole mess. But he kept silent.

"D-did you tell him...everything?" he finally whispered.

Jane's brow furrowed, looking confused. "What did you expect? Of course, I did."

"Just asking," said Loki. "What did he say to you...uh..." He glanced at Darcy, "You know..."

She swallowed, her mouth turning into a sour frown. “He didn’t say much; he was actually very quiet right after I told him. That’s when I told him that we were going to keep it between us until Darcy found out and started harassing you. He seemed sad then telling me he wanted a little time alone to think, but when we came back he thought we should all talk.”

Darcy’s frown deepened. “Hey, I’m sorry, Jane. I wasn’t trying to cause trouble with you and Thor; I was only trying to give Loki a hard time. I wasn’t even really trying to tell Thor.”

Loki frowned, turning to Darcy. "You were bullying me," he said bluntly.

Darcy’s eyes narrowed. “I was only paying you back for harassing me and breaking my stuff!”

Jane interjected before this became an all-out argument. “Alright! Enough you two! Can’t you see this is how it all started, to begin with? You two have been going at each other nonstop constantly wanting to one up the other, but it’s got to stop already! Both of you just need to grow up and drop it. Let it crawl under a rock and die. For everyone’s sake, please!”

"She started it," Loki mumbled.

“I started it!?” Darcy looked offended. “Now wait just a minute…”

Jane stood between the two glaring from one to the other. “Honestly! You two are acting like children; just listen to you! Do I need to spank you both just to get you to stop?”

Darcy blanched, taking a step back with the surprise of Jane’s statement. “Uh, no!” She didn’t like being compared to a child, and the fact Jane had said as much frustrated her as she realized her and Loki really were acting like children the way they’d been fighting. She sighed agitatedly. “Alright, fine.” She held out her hand to shake Loki’s. “Truce?”

Loki looked at Darcy's hand a moment and then stretched out his to shake it. He sighed. "Truce." He turned to look at Jane. "I'm not a child..." he whispered.

Jane gave him a smirk. “You’re right, you’re not, so stop acting like one.” She gave him a wink then as a note of a jest at his expense.

Loki smiled back at her. Then he sighed. "So...when are we going to go..." He nodded toward their campsite, "get chewed out?"

Darcy groaned. “I’m not looking forward to this.”

Jane sighed. “Neither am I, but let’s go get this over with.” She walked over to her belongings and gathered them up, and Darcy followed suit. Once Jane had them, she began trudging up the mountainside to go face Thor.

Loki walked over and gathered his clothes into his arms. He was suddenly having second thoughts and wished he’d kept his mouth shut. Quickly, he ran to catch up with Jane.

“Jane,” he said, coming up to keep pace beside her, “do you think we could go swimming again later on?”

Jane smiled at him giving a small nod. “I don’t see why not. Maybe tonight after dinner or before we head out in the morning.”

Thor was sitting by the fire having gotten it stoked in the time that he’d been at camp, needing something to occupy his mind after having learned about what had transpired under his nose. It was upsetting on a lot of levels for Thor as he felt a range of emotions from shame that he’d managed to completely be oblivious to what was right in front of his face, anger that the fact that he’d been kept out of the loop, and worry. If he was unable to see things like this, was he really the best person to be his brother’s keeper?

Seeing them approach, Thor stood looking grim as he waited for them to join him. He gestured to the chairs around the fire for them to have a seat.

Jane and Darcy were silent as they took a seat in the chairs. Darcy couldn’t keep eye contact, but Jane watched him sadly, obviously feeling quite guilty now.

Loki was the last to approach. He held Thor’s gaze a few seconds before shamefully turning away and seating himself in the chair beside Jane. He jumped at the twinge of pain that coursed through his rear, reminding him of why they were all gathered there. He swallowed at the prospect of more being added to it shortly.

Once everyone was seated Thor addressed them, “Jane, as I’m sure you all are aware, has told me what has happened. I’ve had some time to think about it, and from Jane telling me that she spanked Loki full sore, I’ve decided that Jane has handled the situation well enough that I don’t need to make my brother suffer more. That said, I’m very disappointed in all of you. I feel betrayed that you would feel I would be so unapproachable as to not be able to become to me.” He looked at Jane now with obvious hurt. “And to use my brother’s bad behavior as a petty weapon against him.” His glare now bore into Darcy who only glanced at him briefly before looking back down. “Or to have done something that my woman felt the need to punish.” Thor’s eyes traveled over to Loki now showing much disappointment.

Had he heard Thor right? He really wasn't going to spank him? Loki looked up, his eyes blinking in confusion and surprise as he studied his brother. When he met his eyes, he found he couldn't look any longer and lowered his gaze. His nervous hands squeezed out some of the excess water from one of the legs of his shorts. It was then that Thor's last words finally hit him and he swallowed, feeling his cheeks burn. Had Jane told Thor what the picture Darcy took had been of? He chewed his lip.

"I'm sorry, Thor," he said softly.

Thor regarded Loki tiredly. “I hope so, Loki. This whole situation has me wondering if Father chose wisely when he picked me to care for your well-being. I have to reevaluate myself as I’m most dissatisfied.”

Loki looked up nervously. He never meant for Thor to feel that way. Yeah, Thor had always been easy to fool, but he hadn’t meant for this whole mess to escalate that far. Fear swept over him. If not Thor then who else?—Odin? Loki couldn’t bear that thought. Or maybe Odin would change his mind about him needing a keeper and just throw him in the darkest hole somewhere forever instead. Loki almost let out a whimper.

Jane rose out of her chair then walking over to Thor and tentatively wrapping her arms around him in a hug. “I’m sorry I put you through this, Thor. I didn’t mean any deceit when this came about; I just wanted to make it easier on both you and Loki by handling it myself. I see I was very wrong, and I can assure you that I’ll never leave you in the dark again. Can you forgive me?”

Thor nodded softly but did not smile. He gave her a small kiss on the forehead. “You know I do.”

Darcy feeling bad as well felt the need to speak up, “I’m sorry, Thor. Uh…just so you know, Loki and I have talked and worked out our differences. We can just enjoy the rest of our trip from this point on out…if you can that is?”

Thor did give Darcy a small smile at hearing that as he nodded, grateful the two would hopefully no longer be bickering amongst themselves. “Aye, Darcy, that is good news to my tired ears.”

Loki shifted his feet, shyly looking up at Thor. “D-did Jane tell you what that picture was of?”

Thor smiled widely. “Don’t worry, Loki, you know it matters not to me.”

Loki’s eyes widened. It definitely wasn't the answer he wanted to hear. He turned a questioning stare to Jane.

She just closed her eyes, shaking her head no to Loki. “I didn’t give away your embarrassing picture, Loki, but when I told him Darcy had snapped a picture of you when you were asleep, Thor already knew why.”

Thor chuckled. “Loki, you’ve been my little brother for centuries, did you really think such a detail would have gone unseen by me?”

Loki’s face turned red and he looked down at his hands in his lap, a small smile appearing on his lips. He looked back up at Thor. He felt a certain weight lift off him now that everything had come out in the open. But he still couldn’t figure Thor out. Why didn’t he spank him? Wasn’t that why he was here?—to cause him misery?—to police his every move and punish him for the things he did that displeased him? But then again, Jane had spanked him too…and she wasn’t there to cause him misery. Something worked inside his mind as he watched Thor and Jane intently.

Finally feeling uncomfortable in his wet shorts, Loki got up and walked to Thor.

“You have quite a woman here,” he said, his cheeks flushing a brighter red. “She…packs a mean hairbrush.” He threw Jane a sidelong glance.

Thor couldn’t help but to laugh. “Aye, I knew she was fiery when I chose her!”

Jane smiled widely, too, glad that the tension was finally starting to fade away. “So, who’s up for some lunch?”

“Fiery, indeed,” Loki said as he smirked, giving his rear a quick rub. “Actually, I would like to change into some dry clothes first.” He went back to the chair to pick up his clothes and made his way to the tent. He dried off and changed and came out again, running a towel through his hair. By now, Jane and Thor busied themselves with preparing lunch. Sighing, Loki walked over to where Darcy still sat, stopping in front of the girl.

"I'm really sorry about the phone," he said. "And...I'm sorry about the whole mess."

She brought her face up to meet his, a small grimace on her face. “Yeah, me, too. I feel like a real jerk. Can we just start over?”

Loki lifted an eyebrow. "Sure, but on one condition. That you don't pull my trousers down anymore...or take them completely off."

Darcy laughed, smiling brightly. “I think I can manage that.”

Jane and Thor were still working to make sandwiches for everyone, but Jane saw that Loki and Darcy seemed to be getting along on their own, and that made her feel loads better thinking they’d finally be able to all have a good time without the worry of any further schemes to get the other back.

Lunch was served, and everyone seemed quite happy to stretch out on the large blanket by the fire and just enjoy each other and the atmosphere. Once they’d all finished Jane suggested a game of cards, but Thor suggested a nap instead winking at Jane, and she blushed agreeing and following Thor back to the tent.

Darcy giggled, looking back to Loki. “Oh man, you want to go take a walk? I do NOT want to hear anything coming out of their tent okay!”

"Uh...yeah, sure," he replied, getting up. "Lead the way."

There were a couple of trails that led to different activities Darcy noted on the map to Loki. “Well, we can go here.” She pointed to one point on the map. “They have zip lining! Have you ever been zip lining? Or if that’s not your thing, there’s a nature walk over here along the river side,” she said, pointing to another area on the map. “You think about it, I’m going to go change right quick." Darcy handed Loki the map and hurried off to get dressed, yelling at the top of her lungs to Thor and Jane’s tent, “Loki and I are taking off for a while! You two…have fun.”

The tent stirred a moment before Thor poked his head out looking directly at Loki as he stated, “Have fun, Loki, but please stay out of trouble.”

Loki gave a small, unamused laugh. “If I don’t, you and Jane will bust my backside when we get back, I know."

Thor lifted an eyebrow, giving a short, curt nod. “Good. Enjoy yourself, Loki.” Thor smiled before zipping the tent again.

Darcy was coming out of the tent as Thor was zipping theirs. She seemed happy and excited as she made her way back to Loki. “Well, have you decided?”

Loki winced as he looked at the zip lining photos decorating the sides of the map. “I’d rather go on the walk,” he said, rubbing his bottom. “I’m not...exactly ready for very much strenuous activity.”

Darcy giggled. “Suit yourself.” She gathered a water bottle and started heading down the intended path. “It’s supposed to have a great fishing area down here, but I don’t think Jane packed any fishing poles.” She shrugged. “I’m not much into that anyway, but a walk around the lake should be nice. There’s a bridge that goes across the narrow end of it, so we won’t have to circle back.”

Loki lifted an eyebrow at Darcy’s talking. “That’s…okay,” he said softly. He still felt awkward and uncomfortable around the girl, more so after everything that had transpired between them over their camping trip. A walk sounded nice. It would give him a chance to clear his mind. But he wasn’t sure how he was going to manage alone with Darcy. He quietly walked along beside her, stealing glances at her every so often and wishing Jane was with them.


	18. A Talk With Darcy

Loki and Darcy walked in silence for long minutes just enjoying the scenery and avoiding each other before Darcy could handle the silence no longer. “So, what’s your deal? I mean, I know the whole crazy New York thing with you trying to take over the world plan failed, but why did you do it in the first place? Surely Asgard has got to be way cooler than here.”

Loki kicked a rock out of the path. He had hoped that subject wouldn’t come up anymore, but he should have known that Darcy would be the one to ask the question. He didn’t want to answer, but he felt that he’d better before Darcy went crazy and blew up again…or something.

“Most of it wasn’t my fault,” he began. “I never meant for people to get hurt. The Chitauri brainwashed me, made me their slave, and made me do things I didn’t want to do.” He paused, chewing at his lip. “I was just…trying to get away from them and the torture they put me through. And the threats of more pain if I didn’t do as they wished.” He turned his eyes to Darcy. “Why did I want to take over your world? I just wanted a place where I could fit in and belong since no one in Asgard wants me. I also thought if I could rule a realm that…maybe for once Odin would be proud of me and what I’ve accomplished.”

Darcy studied him a moment before responding, “Dude, I didn’t know you were being controlled. That sounds awful.” She frowned looking at the ground as she thought about what else Loki had said. “Why do you think no one in Asgard wants you? You’re, like, a prince, that’s got to give you some props.”

Loki gave a snort. "Yeah, I'm a prince. The prince who will never be king. The prince of lies. The trickster. No one wants a trickster and a liar. No one wants a Frost Giant ruling Asgard," he spat bitterly. "Odin hates me. The whole of Asgard hates me. My birth parents didn't want me. I was abandoned, left to die, as an infant. What for?—being a runt. I wasn't even good enough for them." The words came more freely the more Loki spoke. He found it hard to vent his feelings to Darcy at first. It had been much easier with Jane, but now he wanted to get them out to this mortal girl. She'd given him a hard time, so maybe it was time she knew what he had been through—what his life was like. "Fath—Odin—has always cared more for Thor. Oh, he says he loves me, but I'm not stupid or blind. He lied to me about my heritage. Never told me that I was adopted. Never told me that I'm a monster. And everything I've tried to do to please him, to make him proud of me, has never been good enough. It's hard to stand by and watch Thor get all the praise and glory while I get nothing but punishment and rebukes. Even when I try to do good, it's never good enough." A few tears trickled down Loki's cheeks. "He always finds something to accuse me of, unlike Thor. I thought if I could just rule a realm, he'd be proud of me. And at the same time, I would have found a place to belong—somewhere where I'm wanted—so I could get out of Asgard and they wouldn't have to see me ever again."

Darcy blinked just listening to Loki let all of his pent up frustrations out. It was hard to comment on the situation since it was all so alien to her, but seeing Loki so distraught made her want to comfort him. “That sounds like a raw deal. I can’t imagine what going through your life has been like since I haven’t lived it, but it sounds like it’s been rough for you. Thor seems happy to be around you and also wants you to be around; are you sure that everyone sees you like you think they do? Maybe you’re letting the facts about your heritage color your opinion of what others think of you.”

Loki rolled his eyes. “Of course, I do. The people of Asgard already think low of Frost Giants. We’ve been at war with them even before I was born. It was during one of those wars that Odin found me." He looked at Darcy. "Summer and winter battling each other for centuries—that’s the way you mortals would view it. Thor and I were raised on horror stories involving the Jotun. We were raised to fear them...to hate them. Thor used to have boyhood fantasies about destroying all Jotun. I'll admit I used to go along with him. Then one day, I find out the hard way that I'm one of them." Loki let out a sad laugh. "Asgard would never go along with a Frost Giant for a king. They would run me out of the realm if they found out that one of their princes had been one all of these many years."

“But, I mean, the king of all gods took you in, so he must not think low of you, right? I don’t know much about Frost Giants, only what Thor told me they looked like, but you don’t look any different than Thor, so maybe you’re mistaken?” Darcy wondered.

“I look like them under this,” he said disgustingly. “How do you think I found out? It's kind of hard to miss when you suddenly turn blue and a giant’s icy touch has no effect on you. Under this is pure monster—the very thing Asgard has loathed and fought against. If I wanted to, I could give you the worst case of frostbite you ever encountered just by touching you. Cold doesn’t bother me even in this form. I have a weakness to heat…the Chitauri knew that…somehow.” Loki shuddered at the bad memories. “Odin took me in because he wanted to use me to make peace with the giants—to bring a unity between realms. I’m nothing but a war trophy—a tool, a puppet, a relic."

Darcy looked slightly worried by the frostbite comment, but she didn’t mention anything about it. “He wanted to use you to make peace? But you said Odin didn’t want you to lead? If he was planning to have you rule them, then isn’t that what you were trying to do here? Prove you could rule us to your dad…by taking over Earth when Odin was already planning to have you take over the Jotun? You’re totally confusing me, Loki, you say you want one thing, and that Odin is one way, but then you say that Odin was grooming you to be the Jotun king. I don’t get it?”

Loki smirked at Darcy’s confusion, but he actually didn’t know how to answer her questions. “It’s complicated,” he finally said. He wasn’t about to tell the girl that he had killed Laufey. His smile dropped. “Either way, I would never rule the Jotun. Do you think I would want to rule a race that abandoned me? I just want to get away from Odin and giants and everything else that holds bad memories for me.” He looked down at the ground. “Frigga was the only one who truly loved me for who I am. It didn’t matter to her that I was Jotun.” He turned to Darcy again, tears in his eyes. “Do you know what Odin did after she died? He wouldn’t let me go to her funeral. He kept me in prison and wouldn’t allow me to go to her funeral. He wouldn’t let me see her body one last time.” Loki said the last part quite aggressively, not really meaning to. When he realized this, his face relaxed, his eyes blinking in surprise. “I-I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to frighten you.”

Darcy shook her head, looking torn to reach out and give Loki a hug because he looked like he needed one and not wanting to infringe upon his space. She settled with moving a little closer and giving his shoulder a small squeeze for consolation. “You didn’t frighten me. Is that why you and Thor came here then? To get away from the Jotun and Odin?”

“No. Thor wanted to see Jane. Technically, I’m still a prisoner, put under Thor’s care by Odin. So I had no choice but to come.” He looked at her. “But now that I’m here, I have to say that I’ve enjoyed being away from everything in Asgard, even if I’m…still tethered to my stupid brother.”

Darcy smiled, pushing him gently. “Even after everything between us, you still like this better than Asgard?”

Loki wrinkled his nose. “You mortals are irritating, but it’s better than being executed or stuck in a prison cell."

Darcy smirked at him. “Well, I guess you can thank your lucky stars I’m less annoying than a death sentence.” She looked across the lake as they walked now, taking in the view. “It really is pretty out here, don’t you think?”

"I didn't say you were less annoying. Dealing with you the other night made me want to try a second escape attempt." He smirked. “It is beautiful,” he said, looking around them, “but not as beautiful as our secret place back on Asgard.”

“Har, har.” She gave him a deadpan look as he spoke, but when Loki changed the subject Darcy looked intrigued. “Yeah? You’ve got a secret place? Does it have magical beings like fairies there?” Darcy really had no clue what Asgard held, but from some of the tales she had heard Thor speak on, she imagined it had all sorts of magical beings making it all the more exciting.

He looked at her, partly confused and partly amused. "No, there are no fairies there. Just a hidden place Thor and I found when we were kids. There is a waterfall and a river and lots of trees."

“Oh.” Darcy flushed, feeling a little silly now. “That sounds nice. What is Asgard like? I’ve heard about it from Thor, but you have a different perspective.”

Loki shrugged. “Big and shiny. Not as primitive as you probably think. We have our own brand of technology, yet Thor is still confused by Midgard gadgets." He shook his head, turning his gaze toward the lake. "Asgard is also filled with warriors. It’s just another reason why I don't fit in there and the reason why Thor has always bested me in practically everything."

Darcy nodded. “It sounds interesting…more interesting than Texas anyway. So…you really like it here, right? Do you feel like you fit in better here then?”

Loki remained silent for several minutes as he continued to stare at the lake. Then he turned to Darcy. “I’m not sure I fit in anywhere,” he answered softly. He cleared his throat. "Midgard is interesting, though. I always dreamed of coming to this realm when I was a kid. I heard so many stories about it from...from Father and Mother. You mortals are an interesting race—thinking of us as gods. Although I must say, I do like the sound of that." Loki drew in a deep breath and puffed out his chest. "I _am_ worthy of being worshiped."

“Pfft! Oh, my gosh, you are so silly!” Darcy rolled her eyes to the sky laughing. “You would want to be worshiped.”

Loki smiled. “So tell me more about Midgard. I’ve seen some of it on past trips and have learned all I can through books and observing, but I feel that there is a lot more to learn. Is your entire realm like Texas and New York?”

Darcy smiled widely as she began a litany of descriptions of all the places she’d ever wanted to go and the wonders of the world. She, of course, didn’t let Loki get a word in edgewise so excited was she to describe these places to him. “Oh! And then there’s Australia where they have these animals that are like a blast from the past. Honestly, they totally would be extinct by now if they weren’t all separated by an ocean! But yeah, they’ve got some amazing oceans and…Oh, wow; hey look! It’s the bridge! We’ve already walked the entirety of the lake!” She seemed surprised now as the two had been walking nearly two hours to get around the expanse of the lake.

Loki regretted bringing up the subject as he struggled to keep up with Darcy's long stream of chatter. He really didn't care that they had reached the bridge. He was busy making a mental note to find a book about Australia's animals.

"I do agree that Midgard has some strange things. Like those prickle plants around here." He looked around for some. "I'd like to know more about the animal life. You seem to have some of the same creatures as we do in Asgard, like snakes, frogs, and horses, but I've seen pictures of animals we don't have, like elephants. Do you have winged horses like the Valkyries ride? Or dragons?"

"Man, do I wish! I remember reading about the Valkyries and thinking how awesome it would be to ride a winged horse. As for dragons, the closest thing we have is a lizard...so no, and if they breathe fire I'm definitely not interested in seeing one up close. Have you fought a dragon?" Darcy was staring now in slight awe.

“You must be confusing Midgardian Norse with Greek. According to the Midgard Norse mythology book Jane let me borrow; your twisted and grossly inaccurate earth myths do not speak of Valkyries riding on winged horses. It’s just another inaccuracy and another reason why you should dump the book in the rubbish. By the way, Olympus does exist, too, but we won’t talk much about that since we’re not on the best of terms with them. Hercules is more of an oaf than Thor is, and is far more brainless.” Loki rolled his eyes. “And to answer your question…No, I haven’t fought a dragon. But I used to have a little tiny one as a pet.”

Darcy grinned at how much offense Loki took about historical accuracy and Asgard. She laughed. "You know, there are so many versions of what you guys are, you really shouldn't take offense. And you had a little dragon! I am so freaking jelly!"

“I’m not offended,” said Loki. “I’m just annoyed by the things you mortals have gotten wrong about us. I am merely correcting so that you can rewrite it.” He paused, his cheeks blushing. “Uh…just don’t mention anything about me getting spanked in your Midgard books.”

Darcy’s smile widened as she teased, “Are you sure? We do want this new record to be very accurate!”

Loki turned his gaze away from her to look out over the lake, his cheeks still blushing. “Never mind.”

“Aw! Come on!” Darcy laughed circling around Loki playfully now. “You know if I ever did write out notes to help get the true facts, I wouldn’t add that!”

“Yeah, I bet you wouldn’t." Loki smirked. “What if I just push you in the lake?”

“You’d better not!” Darcy squealed, jetting off the rest of the way across the bridge to make sure Loki could not make good on his threat.

Loki ran as fast as he could after Darcy and caught the girl by the back of her shirt before she could make it off the bridge, all the time grinning. He wasn’t planning to really push her in the lake, lest he summon the wrath of Thor down on his poor butt, but she didn’t know that. Quickly he grabbed onto her and made a show of dragging her closer to the edge of the bridge.

“No!” Darcy half screamed and half laughed, latching onto him as she continued to scream every step Loki took. “No! Loki! I swear to God I’m taking you with me!” She had wrapped her legs in a vice grip around one of his and her arms around his waist holding on for dear life now.

Loki laughed, letting her go. “Relax. I wasn’t really going to toss you in. You think I’m going to rile Thor again this soon? I’m going to ride back home in comfort tomorrow.”

Darcy unhinged from holding onto Loki with all her extremities giving him a push. “Yeah, well, you’re lucky then because we’d have both been going back to camp sloshing if you’d tried!” Darcy cut eyes at him smirking mischievously. “Come on, we’ve been gone a couple hours, Thor and Jane might be wondering where we are.”

Loki walked forward to catch up with Darcy. The walk with her hadn't been half bad, he thought. He still didn't like her as much as Jane, but he could tolerate her in small amounts. Although their walk made him hope that he and Jane would be able to spend some alone time together one more time before they left. Preferably at the river, he'd found on their picnic. He'd have to suggest it to her when they got back to camp.

Looking down, Loki caught sight of a frog near the edge of the lake. Grinning, he bent over to pick it up before it had a chance to jump away. He ran forward and gently placed the animal on Darcy's shoulder.

Darcy jumped letting out a blood-curdling scream. "Loki! Get it off! Get it off!"

Loki laughed, picking the frog off her. “It’s just a frog. Isn't there anything you don't jump over?"

Darcy frowned shivering with a clear look of disdain. "I don't want creepy, crawly, or slithering anywhere near my person, Loki!"

“But I love seeing your reaction. It’s way better than Sif’s ever was. At least you don’t grab me and throw me to the ground or pull a dagger on me.”

“You know what? You’re so detestable sometimes!” Darcy was shaking her head, but she was smirking at him letting him know that she wasn’t that mad. “It’s no wonder Sif would throw you around having to deal with your pranks all the time.”

Loki stepped closer to her, smirking mischievously.

Darcy backed away. “I don’t like that look, mister! What have you got up your sleeve?” Darcy was trying to contain a laugh before she backed away far enough and turned and bolted for the camp as her laughter finally peeled from her and she glanced back to see what Loki might be up to.

Loki ran after Darcy to catch up to her. "You'd better run!" he shouted. "There are other creatures out here that I can put on you."

“No!” She squealed through her laughter as the two ran up the mountainside towards the camp, finally making it to the camp a bit bedraggled and panting from the exertion.


	19. The End of the Trip

Jane and Thor were lying out on the blanket staring up at the horizon when Loki and Darcy crested the hill. Both were leaning against one another and holding hands in obvious bliss of enjoying the other’s companionship. Seeing that Darcy and Loki both had smiles on their faces made them smile as well.

“You two were gone for a while; was the walk nice?” Jane asked.

Darcy still catching her breath just nodded her affirmative.

Loki collapsed next to Jane on the blanket. “I can’t remember ever being this worn out before.”

Jane ruffled Loki’s hair. “You’re going to sleep well tonight.

Thor laughed. “I remember that feeling. It’s almost exhilarating to feel so alive, is it not, brother?”

Smiling, Loki rolled over on his back to peer up at Jane. Then he turned to look at Thor. “Yeah, it is.”

Darcy clamored over to the three flopping on the blanket on the other side of Jane. “Oh, my gosh! My lungs are going to collapse!”

Jane laughed. “Why were you two running?”

Darcy cut eyes at Loki, smiling. “Why don’t you tell her how you enjoy torturing me with random wildlife, eh, Loki?

Loki glanced from Darcy to Jane, then finally to Thor. “I put a harmless frog on her.”

“Yes, he did! Harmless? That’s to be determined as it totally could have peed on me or something!” Darcy mock-chided Loki, not really upset over jesting with him.

Both Thor and Jane seemed relieved that Darcy was being playful and not angry with Loki’s antics.

Jane giggled. “Poor frog.”

“Poor frog?” Loki frowned. “The frog was unharmed.” He rolled over on his stomach.

“That frog did have to endure high pitched Darcy screams. That must have been mentally traumatizing,” Jane jested.

“Hey! Who’s side are you on?!” Darcy laughed, throwing a pebble at Jane.

Loki laughed, then he turned to Jane. “Do you think we can go swimming again now? Since…it was…interrupted the last time.”

Jane lifted an eyebrow looking over to Thor. Thor shrugged. “Sounds fine to me.”

Loki got up and walked to his tent. His swimming shorts were pretty much dried out since their earlier swim, but it didn't make much difference since they were going to only get wet again anyway. Quickly, he pulled his shoes and pants off and put on the shorts, replacing his jeans and shoes. He grabbed a towel and headed back out.

"Okay, I'm ready," he announced, walking up to the group. "And I trust my shorts will stay on me this time," he said, glaring at Darcy.

Darcy rolled her eyes, giving a snort. “Yes, I vow to leave thy pants in place, oh trickster god.” She gave a dramatic mock bow before heading to change herself.

Thor and Jane had also gathered their swimming gear and changed while Darcy changed, and within twenty minutes time, the four of them were heading back down the path towards the lake. This time, however, was a much merrier experience since everyone was having a good time talking and laughing together as they made their way down the path.

Loki hurried to catch up to Jane, keeping pace beside her once he'd reached her. "Jane, can we..." He paused a few seconds, "Can we spend some time together again at the river before we go home? Just you and me. Maybe we can go there after we get through swimming."

Jane smiled, nodding in response. “I don’t see why not. We could continue down this trail from the lake and it leads to the river from a different angle. I don’t think we have enough time to make it back to the last spot we were yesterday, though. Does that matter?”

Loki shook his head, smiling. "No, it doesn't matter."

“Great, then once we’re done here, maybe Darcy and Thor can get started on dinner while we take a walk,” Jane replied.

“That sounds good," said Loki. Seeing that they had arrived at the lake, Loki threw his towel down on the ground and began taking his clothes off and throwing them down beside it.

The others followed suit, getting undressed and splashing back into the water. The sun was beating down in the early hours of the afternoon, and all of them were more than happy for the cool break the waters afforded them.

Darcy swam up behind Loki, jumping on his shoulders playfully and plunging his head under the water sending the poor man bubbling up sputtering and coughing as she giggled. “That’s for Kermit! Remember the tale of a woman scorned, Loki?”

Jane splashed her as Darcy swam away quickly to not receive any form of retribution from Loki. “Careful, Darcy; you’re going to drown him if you aren’t careful.” She laughed, grabbing a hold of Loki’s bicep to steady him. Loki obviously wasn’t expecting the attack as he reeled trying to get his bearings. “Easy there! You all right?” Jane asked quizzically.

It took Loki a few seconds to regain his senses. He coughed again and wiped the water out of his eyes. Finally, he nodded.

"Yeah, I think so. Swallowed a mouthful of water, but I'm otherwise fine." He snorted water out of his nose. "Jane, that girl needs help."

Jane shook her head. “You really need to stop teasing her.”

Thor tackled Darcy as she screamed and tossed her into the air to splash back into the water as he laughed, wading over to Loki and Jane. “You see, brother, I took care of her for you.”

Darcy floundered about finally wading to where she could stand, shouting, “No fair! You guys are ganging up on me!”

Jane and Thor just laughed.

"Watch it, Thor, she'll pull the shorts off you," said Loki. Seeing Darcy swimming towards them, he waded over to hide behind Jane.

Darcy just laughed as she finally made it to them. “Okay, okay. I give up already.” She waded between Jane and Thor, looking at Loki. “Don’t worry, just good fun from now on. Sorry. I didn’t mean to almost drown you.” She giggled.

Loki looked shocked and then impressed. “You’re actually apologizing?”

Darcy smirked, “Why, did you think it was impossible of me to say I’m sorry? I wasn’t trying to hurt you, just having a bit of fun at your expense.”

“Let’s keep it that way, guys,” Jane commented seriously wanting it to be clear that she didn’t want a repeated snowball effect created from their pranks since the two sometimes didn’t know when to quit.

Thor nodded. “Aye, you two are curious in your need to play these games. Like Jane, I wish to see them remain harmless fun.”

Loki smiled, wading out from behind Jane. “Now, why does that sound so familiar?” He playfully splashed Darcy, his smile turning into a full-blown grin. “You don’t have to worry. I plan to keep all of my pranks harmless. I can’t say the same for _her_.”

Darcy splashed him back, giggling. “I’ll only pay you back in kind, trickster god.”

Jane smiled shaking her head and looking to Thor. “Something tells me we’d better be careful we don’t get caught in the middle of their epic battle, or we might end up getting pranked ourselves.”

Thor eyed the two with a lifted brow. “Oh, they don’t want me involved. Tell her, Loki, I don’t take getting pranked very well.”

Loki turned his grin to Thor then back to Darcy. “He speaks truth. Don’t get him involved unless you’re prepared for a world of hurt. The way he's been as of late, I really don't care to get on his bad side. It’s a pity because he’s very easy to prank.” His eyes twinkled as he chuckled.

Thor grimaced. “He speaks true. I’ve never been very good at sleight-of-hand and other antics of that nature. That said, I can get even.” He smiled now as an obvious warning.

Darcy’s brow rose as she gave a small slightly wary nod. “I’ll be sure to keep that in mind.”

“After all of these centuries, my illusion doubles still get him every single time.” Loki smirked. "It never gets old."

Thor huffed. “Aye, you fool me for a time, but it doesn’t last long.” Almost as an afterthought, Thor swatted some water in Loki’s direction.

Jane started to wade out deeper into the water, and Thor seeing her go plunged after her tickling her before scooping her up in his arms. Jane laughed as she wrapped her arms around Thor’s neck as she laughed.

Darcy smiled at them. “I’m really glad they’re happy again. The latter half of this trip has definitely been better than the start of it.”

Loki watched Jane and Thor, not really hearing what Darcy had said.

Darcy cocked her head to the side. “You all right there, Loki?”

Thor released Jane to flop onto his back and just bob lazily in the water; Jane said something to him before turning and beginning to swim back to shore.

Loki blinked, his eyes following Jane. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

“Oookay.” Darcy just shook her head, swimming over to Thor, starting a conversation with him. Loki was unable to hear what they were saying, being just out of earshot.

Jane climbed out of the water wrapping her towel around herself and sat on the rock she’d sat on the last time they’d come down to the water looking at peace as she stared out at the water with a small smile on her face.

Suddenly feeling awkward due to everyone going their separate ways, Loki swam back to shore to join Jane. He picked up his towel and ran it over his hair, then wrapped it around him.

“Anything wrong?” he asked.

Jane’s eyes had followed him as Loki had swum to the shore regarding him warmly. She shook her head no. “Nothing’s wrong, I just wasn’t in the mood to swim anymore. It’s still a beautiful day, though, so I thought I’d sit over here and just relax and bask in the sun.”

Loki nodded. He walked up beside her and gently sat down. Immediately he found the feeling of the sopping wet shorts annoying. He tugged at areas and squeezed out streams of water, eventually pulling out a twig of some sort from one of the folds and tossing it aside.

"I hate wet clothing," he grumbled as he struggled with straightening the shorts out underneath his towel. "Wet trousers of any sort always give me a most uncomfortable wedgie."

Jane laughed. “Do you want to walk back up to the camp and change? I will walk with you if you’d like. I think I want to change as well.”

Loki nodded. “Yeah, I think I will. I’m not interested in swimming anymore anyway. And I really don’t want to go on our walk like this.”

Jane smiled, giving Loki a nod as she slid off the rock. Approaching the water, she called out to Thor, “Thor!” When she’d gotten his attention, “Loki and I are heading to the camp to dress. Did you want to come back with us?”

Thor waved her off. “I’m going to stay in for a little while longer.” He returned to floating in the lake, obviously enjoying the experience.

“Darcy?” Jane queried.

Darcy considered it for a moment and shook her head. “I think I’ll hang here with Thor for a little while.”

Jane gathered her things, then looked to Loki. “Are you ready?”

Loki gave a nod. “Yes.” He stood and walked over and picked up his clothes, following Jane.

The two began their walk back up the cliff side. Jane glanced over at Loki now. “So…how are you doing?”

Loki shrugged. “Doing okay, I suppose. Feeling a little tired after everything that’s happened today.”

Jane nodded. “I imagine. I am feeling a bit exhausted as well, but I am happy to have the matter finally addressed and out in the open. I felt awful through most of that debacle. To have it over is such a weight off my chest.”

“Yeah, me too.” Loki forced a smile. “At least I don’t have to be Darcy’s slave anymore. That...brought back a lot of unpleasant memories of when I was in the Chitauri’s hands.”

Jane shook her head, still a bit miffed at Darcy for her behavior. “I’m sorry she did that to you. She doesn’t know all the details like we do, Loki. She wouldn’t have done it if she knew the extent you suffered I can promise you.”

“She does now,” said Loki softly. “I told her when we went on our walk.”

Jane nodded solemnly. “How did she take the news? I was wondering how your walk went. It seemed to go well enough from how the two of you returned.”

Loki gave a shrug. “She took it like anyone would. She was sorry to hear about it and asked a lot of questions. Then I asked her about Midgard culture, of which she went on a long explanation. We ended it by discussing animals.”

They were just making it back to camp as Loki finished his sentence. “Once you get Darcy talking…well, I don’t need to tell you the girl can talk and talk. I am glad you two seemed to come to terms. If you didn’t I might have had to strangle you both.” Jane chuckled, heading towards her tent.

“I have to say that I’d prefer that over your hairbrush,” he called to her, smirking. He continued walking until he got to his tent, grateful for the opportunity to pull his wet shorts off. He dried himself and put on some fresh clothes, running his own hairbrush through his hair to smooth it back. When he was finished, he grabbed his knapsack and slung it over his shoulder and exited the tent. It just occurred to him that he hadn’t been able to do much reading on their trip. Every time he planned on doing it, something bad always happened.

Jane was dressed and waiting for him when he exited his tent. She kicked a pebble, looking back up to him with a smile. “Feel like going on the river walk now? We can head back down to the lake and let Darcy and Thor know we plan to take a walk and head out.”

Loki positioned his pack on his shoulder, walking forward and up to Jane. "Yes, I'm ready."

Together they started walking, eventually coming to the lake again to find that Thor and Darcy were still swimming. Jane called out to them and told them her and Loki's plans. Then she and Loki started off toward the river. Their walk was silent the first ten minutes or so until Loki decided to break it.

"Jane," he began, "could you tell me more about Midgard culture? I asked Darcy and she gave me her version. I was just curious to know yours. Hopefully, you will tell me without saying it in one long sentence. As I told Darcy, I know a lot already, but I know there is more I can always learn."

Jane took in a long breath as she mulled over Loki's question. "That's an awful broad spectrum. Anything, in particular, interesting you?"

“I really don’t know,” Loki admitted. “Darcy told me all of the places she’d like to travel to, and told me a little about each one.” He thought a moment. “I do like animals and am interested in learning more about Midgard animals. What types do you mortals keep as pets? Darcy has already said that you don't have winged horses or dragons here."

Jane blinked. “Um…there are a multitude of animals people keep as pets. I’ll tell you what, when we get back home, I’ll take you to a few pet stores to show you in person. I think you’d enjoy it more with the visual.”

Loki was now curious as he nodded, smiling. "Sounds interesting."

Jane smiled back. “That’ll be a relatively calm get away from this trip! What else about Earth were you interested in? There are so many different things to offer, I don’t really know what all you have in Asgard to compare it to.”

Loki could agree with Jane on that. As much as he loved nature and the outdoors, he confessed to himself that he was looking forward to getting back to Jane’s house and a real bed.

“Well, it’s hard to narrow it down. I've been intrigued by Midgard ever since I was a kid, so I'm interested in it all. I’ve spent enough time here on various occasions to learn that we have a lot of differences between us, but yet you are not so different."

“Me? As in humans or just me as in Jane.” She laughed, pointing to herself.

“Mortals,” Loki corrected. “Yes, humans.”

Her smile widened. “I figured as much, but I thought I’d ask to be sure. I agree in most senses, we both have similar outlooks even if our cultures are different. Obviously, you have some interesting skill sets we lack, but I don’t find us very different where it matters most.” Jane reached across and touched Loki’s heart as she said this last bit.

Loki smiled and lifted his hand to rub at the area she touched as if it had tickled. "Yeah, I know." His smiled suddenly dropped when he remembered the Chitauri's scepter. "Stark's is different."

“Stark?” Jane looked at Loki quizzically.

Loki nervously ran his hand down the strap on his pack, looking down at the ground.

“It’s a long story,” he replied softly. “Something that happened when I…was in New York."

Sensing Loki’s reticence to talk, Jane looked at him curiously giving him a moment to continue on his own.

Loki didn’t want to continue since he had tried his best to put New York behind him. But feeling Jane’s stare made him uncomfortable.

“The Chitauri’s scepter took control of a person via the heart. Stark’s was different. I couldn’t get the scepter to work on him.” He couldn’t bring himself to look at Jane. “I’m not proud of what I did in New York, okay? Most of it wasn’t even my doing.”

Jane’s eyes studied Loki. “I’m not going to judge you for the things that happened in New York, Loki. One way or another, you’re not that person anymore whether during the times you were being controlled or through poor choices made of your own volition. As far as I’m concerned, you already saw justice for that, and now we can look to the future. That’s not to say I’m not here to listen if you just want to talk about it.”

“I wish you’d tell that to Thor,” he mumbled. “Actually, I don’t want to talk about it. Thor and Odin spa—made sure—I faced justice before we came here. Now I want to put it behind me.”

Jane couldn’t help her eyes darting to Loki’s rear at his last words combined with the fact that he’d almost admitted being spanked. She smirked. “I think that’s a good idea.”

“Jane,” Loki began again, “Something’s been bothering me. You said I was going to have to earn back your trust after…I broke my promise to you.” He looked at her. “What exactly am I going to have to do?”

Jane tilted her head and gave him a warm smile. “Well, you’re working on it pretty well right now. Honestly, it’s just going to take some time, Loki. They say time heals all wounds, and it’s kind of true here as well. You need to show me through action that I can trust you again.”

Loki grinned. He stopped walking, reaching out to wrap his arm around Jane and pull her towards him. He wrapped his other arm around her and gave her a big hug.

Jane pulled him to her tightly, giving a soft giggle. “And what did I do to earn that?”

Loki smiled down at her. "Being one of the few people that have treated me like I'm someone."

"Aw!" Jane was touched. "You should always feel like you're someone. I'm sorry you haven't been feeling like you are. No one should have to feel like that." She hugged Loki a little tighter.

“Sometimes it’s hard when everyone around you doesn’t think of you as that,” said Loki. He smirked. “This hug is also a distraction to give me a head start.” He quickly pulled away and began running ahead. “Race you to the river!” he shouted out.

It took Jane a moment to mentally catch on before she took off hot on his heels, laughing.

Loki didn’t stop running until he reached the riverbank. He skidded to a stop, heaving and trying to catch his breath. He grinned when he heard Jane coming up behind him.

She was out of breath leaning down to clasp her hands on her knees panting. “Are you trying to kill me?” she jested.

“No, of course not; why would you say that?” Loki said, still grinning. He staggered to the side and struggled to catch his balance, suddenly feeling slightly dizzy.

Trying to catch her breath, Jane chuckled. “It’s just an expression, Loki; I don’t really think you’re trying to kill me, although my lungs might disagree.” Seeing Loki stumble a bit, Jane reached out to steady him. “Hey there! You all right? I guess that run took it out of you, too, eh?”

Loki grabbed Jane’s arm to help steady himself. “Yeah, I guess so. I suddenly felt dizzy and weak. I’m just going to sit down.” He walked a couple of feet and sat down on the grass. “I haven’t felt like that since…” He stopped, running his hands over his arms, “since I was with the Chitauri.”

Jane followed him closely now, looking concerned. “Yeah, maybe you exerted yourself a bit too much today. I know you said you didn’t sleep well, maybe it’s catching up to you?”

Loki gave a nod, taking his pack off his shoulder. “That’s probably it.” He opened up the knapsack and took out the book Frigga had given him. “I’ve been meaning to show you this. Thought you might like to see an Asgardian book.” He smiled and handed it to Jane. “It’s a book Mother gave me when I was a kid—a Yule gift.”

Jane held out her hands taking it and handling it as if it were a newborn babe. She carefully inspected the binding running her hand across the intricate details woven into the cover. She thumbed delicately through the pages now. “This is beautiful, Loki.”

"She used to read to me out of it before bed. It's also one of the books we would take with us on our picnics."

She reached over, squeezing Loki’s knee tenderly. “She sounds like a truly wonderful woman.”

Loki smiled. “Do you have any childhood memories?”

Jane continued to flip through the pages of Loki’s book as she thought on his question. “Well, there are many of course, but this book reminds me of my father. There was this one time when we had to go to one of the many boring conferences he had to attend. Well, this particular conference happened to be one that he was speaking at, and I remember him calling out over the loud speakers for me to come to the podium. When I got there he pointed to the large screen above and told me that he’d helped a team of scientists to discover a new star system, and as an honor, they had given him the right to name the first star. He wanted me to name it, and I named it Mandy Mae after my best friend that had moved away. We left the conference, but before we did, he gave me a copy of the book he had published about the star system, and it was that book that had me follow in his footsteps to this day.”

“Sounds lovely.” Loki looked from the book to Jane. “You’d probably enjoy studying the stars in Asgard. Not the same constellations there.”

“Oh, I’m sure I would.” Jane looked up at the sky out of reflex now as she grinned.

Loki leaned back on his hands, studying Jane. It was at that moment that he suddenly felt like he barely knew her. Oh sure, they'd gotten to know each other quite well over the length of time he and Thor had been visiting, but there were so many small details about Jane that Loki didn't know.

"What's your favorite color?" he asked. He wasn't sure where the question had come from. It just sort of escaped his mouth before he realized he was asking it.

Jane's smile widened. "Actually it's the same as yours...at least as long as green is your favorite color of course."

“Really?” Loki said as he sat forward, his eyes still on Jane. His voice probably sounded more childish than he meant for it to, but he didn't seem to notice. 

“I mean, is my favorite color that obvious?”

Jane laughed. “Um…kind of. But that’s not a bad thing to me, as I am quite fond of the color. Now it’s my turn, you don’t get to ask all the questions!” 

Jane was beaming in evident enjoyment. “When was the last time you were on Earth…Midgard…outside of the current time in New York obviously, and what were you doing when you were here?”

Loki slowly leaned back on his hands again. “Well, it depends. I was around when you first met Thor, but I’m guessing that also doesn’t count.” He thought a few minutes. “I really can’t remember my last time outside of current visits. I’ve dropped in on Midgard from time to time over the past hundred years for many reasons, mostly to learn about mortals and your culture here. You have no idea how happy it made me when I first discovered the portal that led to Midgard.”

“Portal? But Thor told me it was a bridge…that’s what I saw. Are you telling me that there are other ways to and from Asgard?” Jane seemed very interested now, the scientist in her burning for knowledge.

“That’s right,” Loki mused, smirking, “you weren’t awake for that part of the trip. Almost forgot. The Bifrost is the main entryway, yes. But there are many hidden portals connecting the realms. Not everyone knows about them. Actually, one of those portals was what I was trying to get to the night I...attempted to run away.” He cleared his throat. “Anyway, I accidentally ran across one of the portals when I was a teenager, which is what got me exploring every inch of Asgard and making notes as to where they all are. You will remember from your earth mythology that the Nine Realms are connected to the World Tree, Yggdrasil. My theory at the time of finding the portals was that all realms are, despite the Bifrost, connected to each other via the World Tree.”

Jane listened intently. “That sounds fascinating! There are so many wonders in your world, Loki, all of this,” She motioned around them, “and us…we must seem awfully droll in comparison.”

Loki snorted. “I would comment on that, but I’m afraid it would get me in trouble. I want that two-hour trip back home tomorrow to be a comfortable one.” Loki lay back on the ground. “Next question...If you could go anywhere, where would you go?”

She mused, “I’d love to explore your world more than anything, but if we’re talking about here then I’d have to say Antarctica. My dad used to tell me that they had a post out there that they would study the stars, and the sights he’d seen were unlike anything he’d ever experienced up close.”

Loki smiled then frowned. “Yeah, well…I wouldn’t get your hopes up about Asgard. I already know the old man isn’t going to give in to that.”

Jane grimaced, letting out a small sigh, “Well, I’m not expecting him to say yes, but I’m still not going to give up hope that he might surprise us all.”

Loki turned over on his side, propping his head up on one hand. “I don’t want to go back,” he said.

“No?” Jane blinked, turning her eyes to Loki to consider him. “I guess…after everything you’ve been through lately that I can understand why you might harbor ill feelings towards Asgard and more importantly your father, Odin.” She scooted a little closer to him now reaching her hand out to place on top of his. “That said, I think that not going back isn’t going to solve the feelings of hurt and resentment you’re feeling. You need to work through them if you’re ever going to get past them.”

Loki looked down at Jane's hand, then slowly raised his eyes to look at her face. "You don't understand. There's nothing there for me anymore. Mother is gone. I'm viewed as a war criminal by your precious Avengers as well as the good citizens of Asgard. And once word gets around that I impersonated Odin and did horrible things, I'm going to be hated even more. The Warriors Three and Sif will probably kill me the next time they lay eyes on me." Loki shook his head. "I'm...I'm scared to go back. There's only Thor to stand between me and everyone else, and I can tell after this trip that he's about had it with me." He looked down at her hand again. "Besides...you won't be there."

She squeezed Loki's hand in a show of support. "I'm sorry, Loki. I don't know the whole ordeal you're facing, but I'd like to believe more than just Thor, and I believe in your ability to change. Thor was upset with all of us earlier, but I don't think he's so quick to abandon you as you might think."

Loki said nothing as he stared at her hand. He appreciated Jane’s words, but he still didn’t want to go back to Asgard. He’d rather stay on Midgard with her. He didn’t care if he’d be powerless. Any option would be better than going back to face the misery that waited for him back home.

“We were asking each other questions,” he finally said. “I believe it’s your turn.”

Her smile reflected the affection she felt for Loki as she nodded. “So it is. I can’t ask you a lot of easy questions this game would entail, like your favorite song or movie, since those things would be alien to either of us.” She thought for a long moment, turning serious. “I want you to tell me a good memory of Odin and yourself. I know you have had your issues, but from the hurt you show when speaking of him, I can tell it wasn’t always so for you.”

Loki’s face turned soured at the question. He didn’t understand why she was bringing up Odin and ruining the afternoon. Quickly, he rolled over on his stomach and turned his head away.

“I have no good memories of him,” he finally answered.

Jane sighed, frowning. “None? Loki…if that was true he couldn’t hurt you this badly. You don’t have to speak about him if you don’t want to. I’m not trying to upset you; I’m just trying to get you to think about there being more than just hate there. If your father didn’t care about you, would you be here with Thor now?”

Loki raised his foot and kicked the ground and refused to say anything, keeping his face turned away from Jane.

Jane let him stew in his own thoughts, just giving him time as she scooted a little closer to sit next to his shoulder so that she could run her hand gently through his hair.

Loki closed his eyes and smiled at feeling Jane’s touch, rolling his shoulders. He sighed. “Odin and Thor spent a lot of time together, just as Frigga and I spent a lot of time together. Thor has always been Odin’s favorite because he’s a warrior, while I’ve always been the weak little runt who can’t do the same things Thor can. It’s one of the reasons why I despise Thor…and Odin. When you ask me to name a good memory of my time with Odin, none come to mind because I feel like we haven’t shared moments to make good memories,” he partly lied. “The old goat has always acted like he doesn’t know how to approach me.”

Jane considered Loki, tilting her head. “Are you sure it was only he that was unapproachable?”

“And what do you mean by that?” he suddenly snapped, turning to look at Jane. He immediately regretted the tone he had used and quickly turned away. He hadn’t meant to snap at her. It just…came out that way.

Jane raised a brow. “Don’t take that tone with me, Loki, I’m only asking a question. By your reaction, though, I think I’m on the right track, am I not?”

“I’m sorry,” he said softly, a chill inching down him at hearing Jane’s scolding. He slowly moved his hands to subtly shield his rear, although it was painfully obvious considering he was lying on his stomach. “I didn’t mean anything by it.” He sighed. “Okay, maybe I haven’t always been approachable. But, like I’ve already said, I’ve tried making Odin proud of me, but nothing I do is acceptable to him. In his eyes, I’ll always be a disappointment because I’ll never be as good as Thor. That’s why I was so close to Mother. She understood me and accepted me as I am. She never forced me or expected me to be like Thor. Odin’s always been prouder of Thor because he’s strong and a warrior. He could always win competitions and battle tournaments easily. Strength and bravery and battle skills are highly thought of in Asgard.”

Jane frowned. “I’ve found in life you can’t please everyone, Loki. All that really matters is that you stay true to yourself. You don’t have to like your family, but you do have to love them, they say.”

Loki remained silent for several minutes, staring. When he finally spoke again, his voice was soft.

“I think I was three,” he said slowly. “I remember Thor went off and left me by myself and I had somehow made it into the throne room. I was crying and scared because I thought I had gotten lost. When I saw Father sitting on his throne, I ran to him and he picked me up and put me on his lap and tried to comfort me. He wrapped me up in his cape and just held me. When I calmed down he tried cheering me up by…” Loki paused, his cheeks flushing, not knowing why he was telling all of this to Jane, “By tickling my stomach and causing me to laugh.”

Jane’s eyes shined lovingly at Loki imagining him so little and cute. “That’s sweet! Thank you. I know digging to find that memory was hard for you, but I appreciate you sharing it.”

Loki's cheeks turned red and he buried his face in his arms. In a way, he felt like he had just shown Jane an embarrassing baby picture. He wanted people to think he was tough and mighty, but he just kept doing things that made everyone tell him he was sweet...

Not understanding that Loki was just embarrassed, Jane questioned with concern, "You're not upset, are you?"

Loki raised his head to look at her. "No, I'm not upset. Just...a bit embarrassed." He forced a smile. "Telling you that memory was like—what would you mortals call it?—showing someone an embarrassing baby picture."

"Oh." Jane's eyes twinkled with mirth. "Well, there's no need for you to be embarrassed with me, silly." She nudged him shoulder to shoulder. "Although I wish I could see one of your baby pictures. I bet you were adorable!"

Loki scrunched his face up, his cheeks turning slightly redder, although, deep down, he secretly enjoyed this new attention.

"Mother would have agreed with you." He coughed. "Although we don't have picture-making technology in Asgard like you do here. But I think Mother did have a few paintings of me at that age tucked away somewhere."

"If Odin will allow it, I'd love to see them sometime." Jane winked at Loki, enjoying this shy side to him.

Loki flopped his face down on his folded arms again. He didn't even know where Frigga had hidden the paintings, but he wasn't going to tell Jane that. If Odin did say yes to her coming to visit, maybe she would forget about them by then.

"And what makes you think I would be adorable at that age?" he asked, looking up again.

Her smile widened. “Well, you’re adorable now; a little version of you would just be precious!” She laughed, seeing his ears turn red with embarrassment. “It’s okay, Loki; your cuteness is safe with me.”

Loki wasn’t sure how to respond to a compliment like that. Part of him felt like melting through the ground in embarrassment, but there was a part of him that was thoroughly enjoying the attention. He chewed at his bottom lip and fiddled with a blade of grass, his green eyes intently studying Jane’s face. A corner of his mouth eventually curled up in a lopsided smile.

“Really?” he finally got out, sounding like it was the first time anyone had ever given him a compliment.

She ruffled his hair. “You just get cuter all the time, you know that?” She laughed. “So are you feeling a little better? Did you want to keep walking or just stay here?”

“Huh?” said Loki, the lopsided smile still on his face.

Jane just chuckled at him. “You were feeling dizzy earlier. Are you feeling well enough to walk, or did you just want to hang out here? I mean, one spot by the river is probably about the same as any others I suppose.”

Loki blinked, finally coming down from Jane’s compliment. He looked around them and shrugged.

“Doesn’t matter to me. This spot is fine.” He made himself comfortable, laying his head back down on his arms. He looked up at Jane, rolling his shoulders. “Um…Jane?” He cleared his throat.

She peered down at Loki, curiously. “Yeah, Loki?”

“W-w-would you…uh…would you rub…my back?—please?” he asked softly, his cheeks turning slightly red again.

Jane grinned, scooting over to accommodate Loki. “Sure I can.” She squeezed his shoulders and rubbed small circles around his shoulder blades. 

Loki closed his eyes, sighed, and relaxed. He wiggled his butt and flattened his body as much as possible, moving into a position that allowed Jane access to every inch of his back and shoulders.

“What’s your favorite animal?” he asked, finally.

“You are too spoilt!” She chuckled at his wiggling about to get himself prepared for a pampering. “Hmm…favorite animal…probably a dolphin. They are some of the smartest critters out there, and they explore the entirety of the sea. What about you?”

“I’m a prince, what can you expect?” He opened his eyes to wink and grin at her over his shoulder. Then he grew thoughtful. “Dolphin?—I don’t think I know of that Midgard animal. As for mine…wolves, I suppose. But I was awfully fond of the tiny dragon I had when I was little.”

Jane’s eyes widened. “A dragon? Well, now that’s a step up than anything we’ve got here on Earth. As for dolphins, there’s a marine aquarium not too far away from where I live, perhaps the next time you and Thor visit; I can take you.”

“That sounds delightful,” said Loki, closing his eyes again and enjoying the feel of Jane massaging his shoulders. He suddenly hoped she wouldn’t find his ticklish spots…like the small of his back. "What's your favorite memory?"

Jane took her time moving across Loki’s back as she spoke. “My favorite memory…that’s a tough one. You know, you’re going to have to answer your own question once I’m done!” She tickled his sides for emphasis.

Loki jerked and giggled, reaching to push Jane's hand away. "No, no, not there. Please, not there."

Jane, of course, worked to tickle him more seeing how Loki wreathed around. “Uh oh! Someone’s ticklish!” She laughed as she deftly evaded his hands' attempts to block her from tickling.

Loki curled under, giggling. "Jane, stoppit," he said through his laughter, grabbing hold of both of her hands to try and keep them away. "Just answer the question!"

Jane was laughing along with Loki, sputtering out, “Okay, okay! I’ll stop now.” Her laughter calmed as she finally addressed his question, “I think my favorite memory was the first time I found your brother, Thor. Before I fell in love with him, he was my greatest discovery. In one night, he opened my eyes to a whole new world. He changed my life in so many ways. If it weren’t for him, I’d have never gotten to meet you.” She ran a hand through his hair now, lovingly.

Loki smiled up at her as he breathed heavily, trying to catch his breath. Then he smirked playfully. “Sooo you don’t mind having me for a brother-in-law?”

“Of course not; do you mind having me as a sister-in-law?” she directed the question back at Loki.

“No, I don’t mind.” He continued smiling, pushing her hand away when it came too close to another ticklish spot. “Although, I can’t say the same for your hairbrush.” He suddenly winced and reached back to rub at his bottom. His twisting around from the tickling had awakened a few pangs of pain that were still there. “I will be glad when this fades.”

She chuckled. “As long as the memory of why you got it doesn’t fade with it!” Jane teased him.

Loki made a face and playfully stuck his tongue out at her. “Are you sure you’re ready to handle me?” He chuckled, lying back down on the ground.

She lifted an eyebrow. “Is that a challenge?” Jane went back to rubbing his back. “You really are spoilt you know.”

Loki made the cutest, saddest, most innocent puppy face he could muster at her.

Jane shook her head. “You’re incorrigible! Now I know I said answering your last question that you would have to reciprocate, so spill it!” 

“Only if you continue rubbing.” He grinned. “And don’t you dare give me any swats back there.”

“Don’t I dare even?!” Jane laughed. “We’ll see how you act as to whether I keep to that edict. Giving demands though isn’t heading in the right direction in that regard.” She did continue to rub his back as she shook her head at him, thinking he got what he wanted too often.

Loki gave her a glare, but said nothing more, settling instead for getting comfortable again. “My favorite memory…” he mused thoughtfully, “would be the time Mother and I spent the entire day painting—just painting anything that came to mind on canvas. It eventually developed into a game where we had to paint the strangest thing we could come up with to try and outdo the other.” He smiled as he thought back on it.

“That sounds lovely. What did you end up painting?” Jane asked.

“Hard to explain,” he answered. “I painted a lot of different things that day. Believe me; you do not want to know what goes on in my mind sometimes.”

“Actually, I really do, Loki.” Jane’s smile broadened. “I want to understand you because you’re my friend now.”

Loki smiled and scooted as close as he could to her, making sure to keep his back within rubbing range. “Even the darker regions?”

Jane moved across his back methodically as she spoke, “We are all made up of lighter and darker aspects as a person Loki, and when it comes down to it, those darker parts have to come together with the lighter parts to make up the whole of who we are, so yeah, I do. Without that part of you, I’d only be seeing half the picture.”

“Maybe someday I’ll explain my mind to you, but for now it’s too complicated even for me to understand sometimes.” He smiled and nuzzled his folded arms when Jane hit a good spot. “Next question: Do you have any annoying siblings?”

She laughed. “No, but I’m assuming you believe that you do?” She nudged him playfully.

“Yes, I do.” He frowned.

Jane lifted an eyebrow. “It’s a good thing for your sake he doesn’t feel the same way about you, eh?” 

“He probably does. He wouldn’t be a brother if he didn’t feel it sometimes.”

Jane nodded. “I suppose not. I wouldn’t know personally, but I’ve seen enough siblings to know they almost all tend to get on each other’s nerves eventually.”

Loki smirked, then nodded to her. “Your turn.”

“For a back rub?” she jested.

“No, asking me a question.” He continued to smirk.

“Oh, I see, your majesty! Well, let’s see…what has been your favorite part of being on Earth?”

He rolled his head to the side to look up at her. “You.”

Jane paused, looking surprised. “Me?” She blushed. “That’s really sweet of you to say!”

“Why is that surprising?” Loki smiled. “You’re the only good thing that’s happened on this visit. I’d like to erase everything else from my mind.”

She squeezed his shoulders affectionately. “Well, thank you. It’s an honor that I could be something positive in your life. You need some good experiences, and I think there are a lot more to be had for you with others as well in the future. Just in this past week, I’ve seen a big change in you. Others will, too. You’ll see.” 

Loki smiled and nodded. Then he huffed. “I had to change. It’s either that or get my butt repeatedly tanned.” He frowned and wiggled his rear, reaching a hand back to rub out another slight twinge of pain. "Between you and Thor it's not like I had much of a choice."

Jane tilted her head, giving a smirk. “Well, I hope we can get to a point where that isn’t necessary, but until then, you won’t have to worry. I won’t let you down.”

Loki looked up at her, concern etched on his face. "You won't let me down...meaning what, exactly?"

She sighed, looking almost sad that she had to state it fully. “Do I need to really spell that out? I’m going to make sure you stay on the path you need to be on, whatever it takes. I think you know what that entails, Loki.”

Loki was afraid that's what she meant, but he wanted to convince himself that she wouldn't go through with spanking him again. Rather than getting upset, though, he smirked, folding his arms and laying his head on them again.

"Oh, come on," He gave her another puppy face, "you'd really spank someone this cute?"

“If you did something to merit a spanking, I’d most definitely spank you…or Thor would, cute or not.” She smirked at the face he gave her.

Loki’s smile fell, replaced by a pout. “Okay, next question, then. Be honest. What exactly do you find adorable and cute about me?” He slowly looked up at her, his lopsided smile appearing again. He knew he would probably regret asking the question, but he was highly curious now that she had openly admitted it to him.

"The fact you even ask a question like that is one reason!" Jane giggled. "I suppose you just being yourself...I can't really explain it in so many words."

Loki's cheeks flushed as his lopsided smile turned into a full smile. “Try,” he prodded and grinned. “You have to fully answer the question now.” He poked her leg.

Jane shook her head, laughing. "Are you fishing for compliments, Loki? Okay, fine; I'll humor you. Your almost childlike wonder when it comes to new things you discover, the way you wear your feelings on your sleeve, or the expressions you use while talking make me think adorable."

Loki grinned, his eyes sparkling. He could listen to her all day.

"It's getting late. We should probably get back to the others. I want to get most of the supplies packed up before we head out tomorrow. Thor and I plan to make a trip to the van after dinner, so we only have to make one trip in the morning when we head out. Are you ready to head back?" Jane questioned.

Loki moved to sit up, taking her hand. “Uh…Jane, I want to say something. And I want to do it now, because I don’t know if we’ll have another chance to just be alone.”

Jane regarded him quizzically. "Oh? What's that?"

Loki chewed at his lip, looking down. “I just want to say that I’m very sorry for breaking my promise like I did. I really didn’t mean to. There’s something about you…I don’t know what, but it makes me want to…” He hesitated, swallowing, “to…behave and tell the truth when I’m around you.” He glanced at her face. “Not only are you my friend, but you’re the closest thing I have to a mother right now. And I don’t want to disappoint you.”

Jane cupped his face as she looked into his eyes. "I forgave you for that a long time ago you know. I also don't expect that there won't be further instances down the road where we may have to...have another talk. But I want you to know that it's not going to ever change how I feel about you...even if you do disappoint me on occasion. That said, I'm truly honored that you see me with such a high regard. If I inspire anything in you to want to be a better person, I'll do my best to continue influencing you."

Loki smiled, leaning his head forward to bump against hers.

Jane ran her hand through his hair before ruffling it and pulling away. Without saying another word, she reached down grabbing his hand and began leading him back towards the camp.


	20. A Sick Little Trickster

It was at least ten minutes into their walk when Loki felt lightheaded and dizzy again. He staggered into Jane, putting his hand on his stomach.

Jane had thought Loki was just playing with her at first until she saw how pale he'd become. "Loki? Are you okay?"

“I-I don’t know.” He tightened his hand on his belly. “I feel dizzy and slightly nauseous.”

Jane looked concerned now. "Are you feeling sick? Did you want to sit a spell to rest?"

Loki shrugged. “I don’t know. It seems to have subsided for now.” He frowned. “I hope I haven’t contracted one of your horrendous Midgard diseases.”

It dawned on Jane then that Loki had had his powers taken from him making him susceptible to more than he normally would have been in his prior visits to Earth. “Um…I don’t suppose you’ve had any preventative shots then, have you?” 

Loki’s brow scrunched up and he turned a confused look to Jane. “What?”

“Um…preventative medicine? You know, immunizations against diseases that you can catch? You don’t have any diseases in Asgard?” Jane was looking really worried now. If Nyquil had affected Loki so badly, she was worried what any kind of sickness could do to him.

Loki stared at Jane, still not understanding her. Finally, he shook his head slowly. “I…don't understand what you are asking. I don’t know what these...immunizations…are. We do have some sicknesses in Asgard, but it’s very rare that it happens, and, from what little I know of this part of Midgard, they are not the same as your illnesses. Ordinarily I’m naturally immune to earth illnesses and diseases due to my Jotun heritage, so I have no need for medicine. But…” It finally hit him, “Odin took my powers away…” he breathed out. He gripped his stomach again.

Jane rubbed his back to comfort him. “Hold on, Loki. Stay here, Thor and Darcy are only up the road.” Jane patted his back once more and took off in a run, yelling out, “Thor!”

Loki watched Jane run ahead, more confused than ever. Why had she wanted him to stay there? He adjusted his knapsack on his shoulder and shrugged his shoulders.

A few minutes later Thor landed in front of Loki as he was much quicker launching into the air than running. He jogged the rest of the way over to Loki’s side. “Loki? Jane said you were doubling over in pain? What is the matter?”

Loki nearly jumped out of his skin when Thor landed. Then he watched him run the short distance.

“I…it’s nothing.” He rubbed his stomach. “I was just feeling a little dizzy and nauseated. It’s gone now.”

Thor studied him carefully. “Has it? Can you walk?”

Loki frowned. “Of course, I can walk. I walked all the way here.” He took a few steps forward to show Thor. “See?” He looked somewhat uncertain, though. “It…seems to come and go.”

Thor nodded. “I’ll walk back with you, and if you need help, I will assist you.”

Darcy and Jane came running up from down the path now to join Thor and Loki.

Loki nodded to Thor and then smiled when he saw Jane approach. He was feeling fine now, so he walked over to her.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" he asked with a laugh. "I'm feeling fine. Whatever it was is gone."

She nodded, but the worried look didn’t leave her face. Jane wasn’t a medical doctor, but she knew enough from traveling out of the country that some sicknesses that only made natives slightly ill could kill a foreigner if not treated properly. “Let’s get you back to camp. We’re going to go ahead and pack up now and head back home.”

Darcy and Thor were watching him now with concern to see if he truly was all right.

When Loki got back to the campsite, he went straight to his tent to put his pack away. He checked to make sure he had everything in it first, and seeing everything was in its proper place, he set the pack to the side. He then set to work packing up his dirty clothes and straightening his side of the tent. He was looking forward to going home. Finally, he would get some sleep in a proper bed, in a room that didn’t have Darcy. He finished, and set the bag of clothes beside his pillow. He turned and exited the tent. When he caught sight of Jane, he walked over to her.

“Need any help packing?” he asked, smiling.

She smiled gently at him. “Why don’t you go sit down and relax, I think we can handle this.”

Darcy and Thor were already helping pack up the campsite in quick order. Once Loki left the tent, Darcy moved into it to pack her own things.

Loki studied Jane a few minutes, getting the funny feeling that she wasn't telling him something. He turned to look at everyone else, and then shrugged. He turned and walked over to sit in one of the chairs around the fire pit.

Everyone worked to get the campsite packed up in the matter of an hour, and other than the chair the Loki was sitting in the entirety of the camp was ready to be hauled back to the van. Thor told them that he’d bring the bulk to the van, gathering it up and swinging his hammer over his head, he jetted through the air in the direction of the vehicle.

“How are you feeling now, Loki?” Jane loaded her pack on her back and gave him a once over. “Thor grabbed your pack, so you won’t have to carry anything okay?”

Loki blinked, looking around him. He’d been so lost in his thoughts that he hadn’t noticed the whole camp had been packed up. He looked up at Jane, a little confused.

“What? I thought we weren’t going to leave until tomorrow.”

“Did you forget our conversation earlier?” Jane leaned forward to feel his forehead. He had a slight temperature she noted. 

He shook his head. “No. I just—” He blinked. “Why are you feeling of my face?”

She smiled sweetly at him as she patted his cheek. “I was just checking to see if you might be running a fever. You do feel a little warm, but without a thermometer, I can’t really be sure.”

Loki lifted a hand to feel of his cheek, a little alarmed. "Is that a bad thing? I'm not familiar with all of your Midgard illnesses."

Jane gave him an indescribable look that radiated uncertainty and worry. “It depends. I won’t really know until time passes. That’s why I want to get you back home, so I can better monitor you.”

"Oh." Loki studied her face. "Is there something you're not telling me? You seem worried."

Jane didn't want to worry Loki unduly. "Honestly, I'm not sure how sickness can spread throughout an Asgardian, so I'm probably just over worried. Don't get yourself worked up because of me. I'm probably just mother-henning."

Loki smiled, getting up from his chair. He knew what mother-henning meant, and he liked hearing it coming from Jane.

“So does this mean you’re going to give me another back rub when we get home?” His smile widened.

She laughed. "We'll see. Let's just get you back to the house, and we'll go from there. Are you going to be okay to walk the quarter mile to the van?"

Loki shrugged. “I guess. I feel pretty good right now.”

Jane nodded, pleased to hear it. "Good then, if you're ready we can head out." 

Darcy pulled her own pack onto her back, sliding up to the other two. "I'm ready to roll when you guys are."

As they all headed out on their long trek back to the van, Loki kept pace beside Jane, except for occasional times when he wandered off to the side of the trail to explore. But he never went too far. And about twenty minutes into the walk, Loki’s side excursions stopped altogether when he started feeling worse. He felt hot and then cold and then hot again, which puzzled him because there was no way he could feel actual cold. But he noticed that it wasn’t exactly cold as one would feel from it being cold outside. It was more like an inner chill. At first, he hesitated saying anything about it for fear it might worry Jane more, knowing the way she had taken the news of his illness earlier. But the way he was feeling scared him, though.

“Jane,” Loki mumbled, nudging her shoulder, “I don’t feel good. I’m hot and cold at the same time. How does one feel hot and cold at once?” 

Jane looked him over seeing his brow was dotted with sweat. "It looks as if you're getting sicker. You might have just a simple stomach flu, which can still feel awful to get through." She motioned to Thor. "Thor, he's getting worse." 

Thor had returned to catch up with them after dropping the bulk of their gear off at the van, and now he quietly regarded Loki seeing what Jane spoke of and scooped Loki off his feet, pulling him to his chest and hugging him with one arm and spinning his hammer in the other. "I will take him to the van and get him comfortable."

“NO!” Loki shouted, alarmed at what Thor was about to do. He started squirming to get out of his brother’s hold. “No, please. I feel like a trip through the air might cause me to…to...throw up.”

“Calm yourself, Loki. We don’t have to travel in that way. Just try to relax; I will carry you.” Thor adjusted Loki to hold one arm behind his knees and the other cradling him to his chest.

Loki was glad that Thor changed his mind, but he was suddenly embarrassed at the way Thor chose to carry him. His cheeks flushed a little and he pushed against Thor’s chest, trying to get up.

“I’m not a baby, Thor,” he griped. “I can walk on my own.” That last part had been a lie, but he was too prideful to admit otherwise. Inwardly he was grateful for Thor carrying him since he felt like he wouldn’t make it to the van on foot.

“I’m sure you could, Loki, but for Jane, please let me carry you.” Thor knew his brother well, and looking at him now; Thor knew Loki was too ill to walk. He also knew that it would ease the man’s pride to think he was letting himself be carried for Jane’s sake instead of his own.

Jane walked beside Thor, peering over at Loki worriedly. “Please, Loki, listen to Thor, you really need to save your strength.”

Darcy walked on the other side of Thor, and although she didn’t speak, it was clear that she too was worried for the trickster.

Loki stopped wiggling, weakly smiling down at Jane when she approached. “Okay.”

Jane smiled as she ran her hands through his hair affectionately. “We’re not too far away from the van. Darcy and I are going to head there and get everything packed away, so by the time you and Thor arrive, we can get to heading home.”

Loki watched the women walk on ahead. He sighed and leaned his head against Thor’s shoulder. "I want a pillow and a blanket," he said, shivering.

“I will get it to you in short order, Loki; I wish that I had such items on my person now. If I were not wearing Midgard clothing, I could have used my cape.” Thor grimaced, hating feeling unable to help Loki now.

"That's okay," Loki said, nuzzling Thor’s shoulder. For once, he was actually glad to have his brother near him. Smelling his scent and feeling his warmth made him think of home and how things used to be before everything bad happened—the days of long past when they were still a happy family. He reached out and wrapped his arm around Thor’s neck. He’d felt pretty bad when he was dehydrated and in pain under the hold of the Chitauri, but he’d never felt like this before, and it really frightened him. He didn't like pain, and he didn't like feeling sick. Wonder if he had some earth disease that he could die from? He shuddered.

Thor did not speak, but his muscles tightened protectively, drawing Loki a little closer to him as Thor carefully plodded along doing his best to hurry but also not jostle his cargo.

“Thor,” said Loki softly, “I’m really sorry for disappointing you when it comes to everything I did concerning Darcy’s phone. I hope you’re not upset with me anymore.”

Thor smiled down at Loki. “No, brother. I think we have all moved on from that incident, even Darcy, believe it or not. She said good things about you whilst you and Jane took your leave earlier.”

Loki smiled, brushing a lock of his hair out of his face. “I just wanted to make sure.”

Thor chuckled softly looking up to see the van in the distance. “We’re almost there, Loki. We will be on our way back to Jane’s soon now.”

Loki caught sight of Jane as Thor walked up to the van. She and Darcy were putting the last of the luggage in the back. When Jane walked around the side of the vehicle, Loki held out his hand to her, asking for a blanket.

Jane had already pulled a number of them out and had set them in the front seat, so Loki could have the window in case he needed to throw up. She opened the van door pulling the blankets out, so Thor could gently set Loki down in the passenger seat. As Thor moved away, Jane swaddled Loki in blankets, propping a pillow behind his head. “There you go. Are you comfortable?”

Smiling, Loki nodded.

The rest of the group loaded into the van quietly as they pulled out of the parking lot and headed down the long dirt road towards the highway.

Darcy whispered, “Jane…hey, Jane!” Jane raised an eyebrow looking back at her, and she whined, “I’m really hungry. Can we stop to eat?”

Jane glanced at Loki and back to Darcy and nodded. “Yeah, we’ll see if we can find someplace with something Loki can eat, too. Are you hungry, Loki?”

Loki looked over at Jane, finally shaking his head in reply. He pulled the blanket he was wrapped in around his face, turning toward the window.

Jane reached over and gave his arm a small, sympathetic rub before returning her eyes to the road. The next twenty minutes were long and bumpy for Loki as they made their way to the highway. Jane was relieved when they finally reached paved road since she was sure the rocky road had played hell with Loki’s upset stomach. 

When they finally arrived at Jane’s home, Loki was feeling far worse than he had felt on the walk back to the van. The car ride didn’t help matters any when it came to his poor stomach. Not to mention their stop at McDonald’s, which Darcy insisted she had a craving for. Even though they got drive-thru, the smell of the food in the van’s small enclosure made his stomach flip-flop. Several times, he felt like he would puke, but it had been a false alarm each time. But now that they were home, he felt like he could throw up for real. As soon as Jane unlocked the front door to her house, Loki ran, half staggering, past her and to his bedroom, slamming the door behind him. He dropped his knapsack on the floor and raced to the bathroom just in time to throw up his stomach in the toilet. He groaned, not liking the unpleasant feeling. His stomach lurched and roiled, so he stayed in the position a few minutes, making sure he wasn’t going to hurl again. When his stomach appeared to be behaving, he cleaned himself up and slowly walked into the bedroom, turning on the lamp beside the bed. He managed to change out of his clothes and into his pajamas, flopping himself tummy down across the bed. He buried his face in the pillow that he’d left there when they went on their trip and groaned again. Feeling a sudden breeze behind him, he realized that his unruly pajama pants had come down in the back again, partly exposing his butt to anyone who might enter his room. But for once he really didn’t care. He felt too bad to care. Besides, Thor and Jane already knew what his rear looked like anyway, so what was the point? He left his pants the way they were and snuggled deeper into the pillow, sticking one of his thumbs tightly in his mouth. He lay that way, staring blankly at the wall.

Jane wafted into the room stopping to pull the covers up fully on Loki before leaning down to speak to him. “Loki? I need you to do something for me, okay? Can you open your mouth?” She held a thermometer in her hand up for him to see it.

Loki looked up at Jane, then down at the odd looking item in her hand. He wasn’t sure what it was, but he didn’t like the thought of Jane putting it in his mouth. He took his thumb out and looked back up at Jane.

“You’re going to put that in my mouth?” he said softly, wrinkling his nose.

She nodded lightly. “It’s just to get a better gauge of your temperature. If it gets too high, we might have to take you to see a doctor.”

Loki stared at the thing, finally shaking his head and shrinking back into his pillow.

“Loki, I need you to do this. Come on please?” Jane prodded gently.

Loki turned over to face the other way, shaking his head. He pulled the covers tighter around him. What if the odd contraption told Jane that he was worse off than they thought? He couldn’t bear hearing that. He was already scared enough as it was, although he didn't want to show it to Jane.

Jane sighed. “Loki, you need to do this one way or another, don’t make this difficult on me, or I’m going to make it difficult on you.”

Alarmed, Loki looked at her over his shoulder, worry clearly displayed on his face. “I-in what way?” Surely she wouldn't spank him, not while he was sick.

She blushed. “Well…it’s a device that measures internal temperature…so, it has to be stuck somewhere internal. You can put the rest together I hope.”

His forehead scrunched up in grave concern, as he studied her face a moment. Then his eyes widened when he finally understood what she meant. He rolled over to face her again, making sure to put his rear out of reach. He shakily pointed to his butt.

“Y-y-you mean up my… ” His cheeks blushed redder than the fever made them. He swallowed, not wanting to think about it.

She shifted uncomfortably. “Uh…yep. So…how’s about we do this the easy way?”

Loki’s butt clenched at the thought alone, his cheeks blushing more at the thought of Jane doing something like that. He swallowed, shyly looking at her. His eyes eventually lowered to the thermometer.

“W-will it hurt?—putting it in my mouth?” he said softly.

She shook her head. “No, it’s a simple affair. You just put it under your tongue and wait for it to beep. That’s it.”

Loki blinked. He sighed and nodded, opening his mouth for Jane.

Jane placed the thermometer under his tongue. “Okay, gently bite down.” As emphasis, she lightly cupped his chin to close his mouth over the implement.

Loki blinked back a few tears, looking up at Jane as she gently pushed his mouth closed. He looked down at the thermometer like he was unsure what to think or do.

After a minute under his tongue, the thermometer beeped, and Jane pulled it away looking at it with worry. “It says you have a 102-degree temperature, Loki. That’s borderline needing to go to the hospital.” She ran her hand through his hair lovingly as she moved the stray strands that had matted on his forehead back behind him once more. 

Loki looked at the thermometer and back up at Jane. “I-I’ve never been to a Midgard healing room,” he said. “Th-they won’t hurt me, will they? They will use magic to heal me?"

Jane chuckled. “Not quite. Remember that conversation Thor and I were having about magic and science? We don’t really do magic in the medical field here, but they do well at understanding Earth diseases and illnesses.”

Loki didn’t like the thought of that many mortals being around him, especially if it had to do with medical related issues. But he was in no condition to argue.

“They won’t hurt me?” he repeated. His thoughts suddenly went back to Jane’s threat of sticking the thermometer in a place he’d rather not think about. He shuddered.

She gently cupped his cheek to comfort him. “They are set up to help people get better…sometimes the procedures they can do can be a bit uncomfortable, but they don’t cause pain as a rule.”

Jane's answer didn't ease his mind much, but her touch helped to soothe him. He nodded that he understood.

She smiled at his understanding. “Try not to worry, Loki, just let yourself rest.” She leaned down and pressed soft lips to his hot forehead before turning and quietly leaving the room.

Loki watched her leave, then lay back on his pillow. He didn't know much about human hospitals, in fact he knew very little. So why was he so nervous? Jane hadn't answered his question with either a yes or no. This worried him greatly. He now wasn't sure if he wanted to go to a place where there was a good chance they would stick a thermometer up his rear. The thought of a complete stranger doing it was far worse than if Jane were doing it. Loki closed his eyes tightly, trying to shake the thought from his mind. Jane had said some of the procedures could be uncomfortable. He couldn't imagine anything else being more uncomfortable than that! But he silently admitted to himself that he really didn't care. He just wanted to feel better. He did enjoy the attention Jane was giving him, though. He looked toward the door. If only he felt well enough to enjoy it more.


	21. Hospital of Horrors

Jane came back into the room a couple hours later to check Loki’s temperature again. The trickster seemed almost delirious in a half-asleep half-awakened state. He was sweating, but his body was visibly shaking. This concerned Jane deeply, and as the thermometer beeped, her eyes widened at the sight of Loki’s temperature having climbed to 104.2 degrees. Jane paled as she called out to Thor, “Thor! We need to get him to a hospital right now!”

Thor came racing in. “What’s going on?”

“His temperature has skyrocketed to a very dangerous level. Pick him up. There’s a hospital two blocks from here.” Jane was in an obvious panic as she rushed about the room gathering a few things for Loki that she knew he’d want like his mother’s book, a change of pajamas, and some hygiene items.

Loki cracked his eyes open, groaned, and closed them again. He heard Jane's voice and was vaguely aware that he had been scooped up into Thor's arms and felt Thor's fingers gently brushing back the strands of hair that were clinging to his face. He opened his eyes again, watching as Jane picked up items around the room.

Darcy had been standing nervously by the door. "Do you need me to help with anything?"

Jane had moved into the hallway to grab her keys and her phone. "Just stay here, and if I need you to bring anything, I'll call the house phone."

Darcy only nodded lamely.

Thor had quietly piled Loki up with many blankets, although he was starting to look worried by how hot to the touch his brother had become. "He feels as if he is on fire, Jane. This gives cause for grave concern, does it not?"

Jane nodded. "That's why we need to get him to the hospital as quickly as possible."

Even in his delirious state, Loki was half aware as to what was going on. He knew he felt miserable, and on top of it, he felt scared. He heard Thor's words and was suddenly worried that he would become dehydrated again. He moved within the blankets Thor had him wrapped in and got one arm free. He whimpered and grabbed Jane's shoulder as she walked by.

Jane stopped instantly attentive to Loki trying to get her attention. "What is it, Loki?"

“I’m scared,” he faintly got out, squeezing Jane’s shoulder.

Jane's brow wrinkled as she squeezed his hand tenderly. "I know you are, Loki, but try not to dwell on it. We're going to get you to the doctor, and they are going to fix you right up, okay?"

Loki gave a weak smile, nodded, and leaned his head against Thor’s shoulder.

Thor and Jane proceeded to carry Loki out to the van and load him up as quickly as they could. Within ten minutes Jane had pulled into the emergency room parking garage, having Thor pull Loki out while she went to park.

Thor spoke to Loki to reassure him, "We have come to the Midgard building of healing, Loki. We shall see to your illness soon now."

Despite being sick and feverish, Loki’s eyes were open wide now, curiously looking around at the new and strange surroundings.

“Just don’t leave me,” he said softly.

"Of course not. I will stay by your side as long as you need me to be there," Thor stated seriously.

It didn't take long for Jane to make her way back to the entrance as she jogged up. 

Thor watched her expectantly, awaiting her instruction as she waved him to follow her into the ER.

Once inside, several people in the waiting room glanced up to see the sight of such a huge man carrying another slight figure in his arms. Jane ran over to the receiving desk, letting the nurse know that Loki was running a 104-degree fever, and the woman nodded, hitting an intercom and calling out for personnel to bring a stretcher.

The orderlies rushed through the set of double doors and up to Thor. One of the men instructed, "Just lay him on the stretcher, sir, and we'll get him to the back."

Thor seemed hesitant, remembering his own experience now with the Midgardian hospitals, and he found himself looking to Jane for deference. 

Loki became startled by the suddenness and loudness of everything that was currently going on around him, even though a lot of it felt like a dream to him. He turned his head to look at the mortals in white coats and then finally down at the stretcher, not sure if he was going to like this. And the smell of the place burned his nostrils and made him feel sicker at his stomach. He wrinkled his nose.

Jane was stuck at the receptionist’s desk, but seeing Thor looking at her imploringly, she excused herself in order to find out what the issue was. “What’s the matter, Thor?”

Thor looked down at Loki and then down at the stretcher. “I wanted to be sure this was what you thought was best.”

Jane looked confused, and the orderlies seemed a bit annoyed, but they stayed patiently silent. “Yes; they need to bring him to the back, but you can go with him, and I’ll be with you shortly.”

Loki lay motionless in Thor’s arms as he half listened to the conversation. He snuggled his face closer to Thor’s neck when he heard Thor’s concern for him.

Thor was tense not wishing to hand Loki over to these people, but since Jane stated she believed it was what needed to happen, he put his personal feelings aside and lowered Loki onto the cot.

The orderlies quickly drew the sides of the gurney up to prevent Loki from rolling off as they began to wheel him into the main part of the hospital.

Thor followed them closely as Jane watched them go. With no social security number or any other identification, she was going to be stuck filling out paperwork for a long while.

The orderlies wheeled Loki into one of the curtain-divided rooms where several nurses weaved between the different patients and briefly stated that a nurse would be over soon to see them.

Left alone now, Thor moved to Loki’s bedside to peer at him worriedly. It was much easier when he could just battle something and be done with it. This arena left Thor feeling helpless, agitated, and nervous for his inability to help Loki and his lack of understanding of what was happening to him.

Loki continued to look around him at all of the curious and strange devices. His brow furrowed in an effort to understand everything. There was nothing there that looked like the healing room back on Asgard, and the unfamiliarity of it made him even more anxious than he already was. He had no idea what all this stuff was or what it did. He emitted a slight whimper as he turned to Thor beside him.

Thor reached out to pat him on the shoulder. “Rest assured I am here for you, Loki.”

A nurse with a clipboard came over to Loki’s bedside searching the board and looking quizzical. “Mr....ah, Loki?”

Loki turned to look at the nurse, taking a moment before he nodded.

The nurse smiled. “Hi there. I’m Susan, and I’m going to ask you a few questions about how you’re feeling. Is that okay?”

Loki nodded. “I feel sick.”

Susan giggled lightly. “I thought you might be,” she teased. “Can you tell me what you’re feeling? Stomach pains? Diarrhea? Vomiting?” As she asked her questions, Susan picked up Loki’s wrist checking his pulse and writing the figure down before unwrapping a thermometer to stick under his tongue after he’d finished giving her the details of his sickness.

Loki didn’t like the nurse touching him. He glanced down at her hand then back up at her. “Nausea, throwing up, fever,” he wearily listed off. He frowned, looking at the thermometer. It was at this point that he was glad Jane had introduced him to this contraption first. He blushed a little, looking up at the nurse again.

Susan nodded, writing down the symptoms. “Uh huh.” She laid the clipboard down and stuck the thermometer in Loki’s mouth as she disengaged her stethoscope and unclipped a blood pressure cuff from the medical tray beside her. She reached and place the cuff over his arm.

Thor held out a hand. “What is this contraption for?”

Susan looked at Thor like he had three heads. “Um…excuse me?”

“What do these tools do to aide my brother?”

Susan just paused, dumbfounded. “They’re for measuring heart rate and blood pressure? Have you never seen this stuff before?”

Thor looked hesitant as to how to reply. “We do not use these tools where we are from.”

Susan nodded very slowly. “Really? What are you guys, like, Amish or something?”

“Asgardian,” Thor answered proudly.

“Huh, okay. Well, uh, I just need to uh put this,” She motioned with the cuff, “around his bicep, pump it up with this,” She squeezed the pump as a demonstration, “and use my stethoscope to listen to your brother’s heart. Is that okay?” Susan looked unsure to proceed now. 

Hearing her explanation made Thor feel assured as he nodded. “Yes, please use your tools to help my kin.”

Susan just mouthed an, ‘Oookay,’ as she moved over to finally proceed with her preliminary examination. 

Loki's eyes darted between the nurse and Thor through the entire conversation. He tensed when she moved to put the blood pressure cuff around his arm. And his eyes widened when she lifted up his shirt for the stethoscope. But before the nurse could touch the strange device to his chest, he grabbed his pajama top and pulled it back down, holding it in place.

Susan seemed startled as she backed away. “Did I hurt you?”

Thor tensed, seeming defensive as he scrutinized what she was doing.

Loki shyly lowered his eyes then looked back at the nurse. He shook his head.

“Is it too cold?” Susan squeezed it in her hand to warm it. “Here you go; this should be better. Susan moved to lift his shirt and reapply the stethoscope. 

Loki wanted to turn over on his side, away from the nurse, but he knew if he did his pajama bottoms would come down, and he didn’t want that happening in front of this stranger. He sighed and let the nurse pull his shirt up so she could do whatever it was that she wanted to do to him. He turned his gaze to the ceiling.

Susan went about her task as she reached over and took the thermometer out of his mouth examining it. Her brow crinkled and she let out a low, “Hmm.” Susan replaced the stethoscope around her neck. “You’ve got a really high fever, Loki; we’re going to have to bring that down ASAP.” Susan called out to another nurse in the vicinity to bring her a bag of saline. “Have you taken any medicine, Loki, and do you have any allergies?”

Loki didn’t understand the whole question, but he shook his head no anyway. “Never needed medicine,” he mumbled.

Susan’s brow lifted in surprise, but she didn’t remark, only marking down further comments on the clipboard as a fellow nurse dropped a bag of saline at the foot of Loki’s bed. Susan glanced down and grabbed it, making the preparations to use it by hanging the bag and unwrapping and connecting all the tubing leading up to Loki’s right hand. She started snipping off tape and placing it on Loki’s arm before adhering the tubing with the tape onto his forearm. 

“Wha-what are you doing?” He turned his head to get a better look, pulling his arm away. He turned a confused look up at the nurse.

Susan took a step back. “Okay. I’m just trying to help you, Loki. If you’re not going to let me help you, you’re not going to get better. This saline,” She pointed to the bag, “it’s going to help bring your fever down. You’re running over 104-degree temperature. I’m surprised you can even talk right now, but what I can tell you is that if you don’t do what I’m telling you, you risk brain damage. Do you understand?”

Loki looked up at Thor then back at the nurse. He was tired, burning up, and still partly out of it. He wanted to fight against this new experience, but he didn’t have the strength to. He was ashamed. He survived the Hulk only to be brought to his weakest point by a mortal illness. Finally, he let his arm fall to his side. Where was Jane? He wanted Jane.

Susan breathed a sigh of relief as she moved back over to Loki’s bedside. She looked to Thor now. “Do you think you can distract him? I need to hook an IV to him…it’s a needle that goes in the vein, so that the saline can enter his system and start hydrating him and bringing his core temperature down. Can you do that?”

Thor nodded grabbing Loki’s other hand and looking down at him. “You can do this, Loki,” Thor assured.

“What?” Loki lifted his head, looking from Thor to Susan then down at his right hand and what Susan held in her hands. He glanced at Thor when he felt him take his left hand, but the word ‘needle’ still rang in his ears. It was foggy, but it was pretty much the only thing that caught. Worry washed over his face and he began to sluggishly stir. “Wh-what do you mean by needle?”

Susan held up the tubing with the needle end. “Don’t worry, it’s an easy stick; it’ll only hurt for a sec.”

Loki sucked in a breath and his eyes widened. “Thor…” he said, backing away. Due to his current state, he lost his balance easy and fell back against the pillow. But it didn't stop him from trying to make a second escape attempt.

Susan looked concerned. “Hey, if it’ll make you feel better, I can give you a sedative? It’ll help you relax and just rest, and I can wait to set up the IV while you’re asleep. Would you like that?”

Loki studied the nurse a few minutes, blinking. Finally, he nodded. He didn’t like the thought of going to sleep in this strange and horrid place where they would probably do who knows what to him, but he just couldn’t face that…needle.

Susan nodded. “I’ll be right back with it,” she said as she walked away.

Thor watched her go before looking back at Loki. “I think this is for the best if you can sleep. All this stress is no good for you.”

Loki nodded slightly. “I don’t like this place, Thor. And where is Jane?”

Thor was wondering the same thing. “We will ask the nurse woman when she returns.”

A few minutes later, Susan returned. Realizing Loki had a fear of needles, she was going to just stick him quickly and be done with it. “Thor is it?”

Thor nodded. “Aye?”

“Can you help me roll your brother on his side for me?” Susan asked.

Thor looked uncertain, and he was about to respond when Jane rounded the corner. “There you are! Man, they were going to keep me there all night! Is he doing all right?”

Loki smiled when his eyes landed on Jane. But then he looked back at the nurse, fear washing over him. “What are you going to do? I thought you were going to give me something to help me sleep.” His eyes quickly searched her hands for a thermometer. She carried something, but it didn't look like a thermometer.

Susan nodded. “I have it right here.” She held up the syringe. “This is just a small prick, and it’s going to put you out like a light. I just have to stick it in the muscle of your flank, and it’ll take about ten minutes to work. Promise.”

Jane looked worried. “Put you to sleep? Why?”

Thor turned to Jane to answer. “The nurse suggested Loki take a sedative to help him get the IV attached to him.”

Jane nodded slowly in understanding.

“In…my…flank?” Loki’s eyes widened more and he began to scramble and kick, trying to get off the gurney. “What is it with you mortals and needles?” he squeaked out. He turned a pitiful look to Jane. "You didn't tell me about this part!"

Jane’s brow scrunched in pity. “Loki, I think it really would be wise to let the nurse give you that shot.”

That was all Thor needed to hear as he grabbed Loki’s bicep and knee to pin him gently on his side. “Please hurry nurse,” Thor stated almost sadly.

Susan blinked, deciding that she’d better hurry up with how strange these people acted. She flipped the blanket up to expose Loki’s rear, and luckily for the nurse, Loki’s pajama bottoms made it quick work for her as Susan ripped an alcohol swab open and vigorously rubbed Loki’s butt cheek before she stuck the needle in swiftly, injecting the sedative as quickly as she could. “There we go. All done now!”

Even in Loki's weakened state, he still managed to fight against Thor, until he was quickly held in place. That's when he felt the breeze on his rear, a cold dampness being applied, and the burning sting that suddenly surged through his right butt cheek. His eyes widened and he scrunched his face up, squinting his eyes. "OW!" he screamed out. When the nurse had finished, Thor let Loki go. Loki's face was still frozen in a look of shocked pain, his mouth hanging open, when he rolled over onto his back again. He reached under him and vigorously rubbed at the stinging area on his butt. "That hurt!" He turned a glare at the nurse, then glared at the syringe still in her hand—the culprit behind this new pain. His breathing was labored after his struggling. "I thought you were going to help me sleep so I wouldn't have to feel the needle."

Susan looked guilty. "Well this is only a momentary pain, and I promise you it will help you sleep. I'll come back in ten minutes, and I'll get your IV set up for you. For now, just take deep breaths, and try to rest."

Susan walked away from them after adjusting Loki's blankets back into place to give the medicine time to work.

Jane gave Loki a pitying look as she moved over to stand beside Thor. "I'm sorry it took me so long. They didn't want to let me leave without signing a lot of paperwork for you. I tell you, I'm really glad I'm on S.H.I.E.L.D.'s insurance plan as wow...that was something else!" She shook her head, done venting now. "Have you seen the doctor yet?"

Thor shrugged, uncertain. "We have been assisted by the nurse, Susan. Did we need other assistance?"

Jane grimaced. "These types of visits are usually a bit long and cumbersome, and you tend to see more than just a nurse. The nurse is more of an assistant to the doctor, and the doctor is the one that looks over the symptoms and diagnoses the patient."

Thor just nodded, feeling glad that Jane was now there to help navigate them through the rest of the visit.

Still massaging his injured rear, Loki looked over at Jane. "I thought she was going to give me some of that liquid medicine to drink like you gave me." A tear trickled down his cheek.

Jane reached out to gently wipe it away. "They may later, but I think they want to make sure you can sleep, so you can get better. It's going to be much stronger than the liquid stuff."

He frowned. “I don’t like this place anymore. I want to go home,” he said as he struggled to keep his eyes open. He stuck his thumb in his mouth and turned over on his side a little bit to face Jane better.

"I know you don't, and as soon as the doctor says it's okay, we can go home," Jane assured him.

Thor shifted from foot to foot obviously also uncomfortable with their current surroundings.

The three waited in silence until an older gentleman approached them carrying the chart Susan had previously had. The man was looking over it now before making his way over to Loki's bedside. "Hello, folks, I'm Dr. Roberts." Jane and Thor said a greeting before Dr. Roberts continued, "So I see that you've got some similar symptoms of a flu, but running a temperature this high we'd like to go ahead and admit you to monitor your progress. When the nurse gets your IV going, we're going to take some blood samples and see if we can deduce more exactly what you've got going on here. Alright?"

Loki was still partly awake when the doctor arrived. Quickly, he took his thumb out of his mouth and grabbed hold of Jane’s hand. He heard bits and pieces of what the doctor said, uttering a groan at the last part. He did not want to know how they were going to get the blood out of him, and he hoped he would be asleep during it. The only thing his mind conjured up was that it would be by cutting him open with a dagger.

Jane listened to the doctor tell them about the procedures, and before Loki passed out, Dr. Roberts proffered his file to him. "Before you go to sleep, Loki, I need you to sign this release of consent form for us to care for you or sign your rights over to your family here." He held the pen out for Loki to take.

Loki weakly took the pen, his brow scrunching up in confusion. “For what reason?”

"Oh, it's a simple part of admission to the hospital everyone has to give authorization to treatment or appoint a guardian to authorize treatment. It's standard procedure," Dr. Roberts said with a simple smile.

Loki still didn't understand, but he scribbled out his name in Norse runes and handed the pen back.

Dr. Roberts blinked, readjusting his glasses as he crinkled his brow. “What language is this?”

Jane stepped over to the doctor. “It’s Norse runes, doctor; he’s represented on my insurance, so if you want, I can co-sign on his behalf.”

The doctor seemed a bit puzzled but answered with an unsure, “Alright then, miss. Just sign right here and here, and we’ll get that request processed.”

Loki was more than relieved when the doctor finally left. He was becoming leery of these mortals. He sighed and settled back into his pillow, again putting a thumb in his mouth. He wanted to stay awake to watch that these people didn’t do anything else to him but try as he might he couldn’t fight against the effects of whatever that horrible nurse had shot into him. He frowned and gave his bottom another hard rub, then he closed his eyes and fell into a deep sleep.

Susan had waited until she knew Loki was resting fitfully before coming back to perform the necessary task of inserting the IV. She was very careful in her insertion, and Loki did not rouse as she did so. The saline solution had run through him and another bag had been added. The saline had helped to bring Loki’s temperature down two degrees which was a good sign that Loki was out of a critical state. He had been moved to his own room now, and the nurses had drawn four vials of blood to test for possible illnesses. The nurses had also made sure to do as much vitals on him as they could while he slept since his chart now read that he was best treated while sedated.

Thor and Jane were talking wearily on the couch within Loki’s room, having been at the hospital close to three hours now. Seeing Loki stir, Jane moved to his side. “Hey there, sunshine,” she said in an almost whisper. Her voice was melodious and tinged in obvious love.

Loki’s eyes fluttered open, looking up at her. His head was still foggy as he tried to regain his bearings. He looked around the room, his brow furrowing. He moved one of his arms and winced. Looking down, he saw bandages on his left arm and the IV tube taped in place on his right hand. The sight of it alone made him feel the urge to throw up.

“I’m thirsty,” he hoarsely said.

Jane nodded. “Okay, I’ll go get you some water.” Jane moved swiftly out the door towards the nurse’s station.

Thor walked over to check on Loki, peering down at him. “Are you feeling any better? The nurses have said your temperature has dropped some, not enough for us to leave, but they say you are doing well.”

Really? After everything he had been through, Thor was asking him that question? Loki looked up at his brother, not exactly sure how to answer in a way that wouldn't be considered rude.

“I feel like I was thrown off a building, Thor.” He winced, looking down at his arms again. “Although I think most of it is due to being in this infernal place.” He gently raised his left hand to poke at the tape holding the IV in place. “How can mortals live like this?”

Thor grimaced. “I do not like places like these either, but even Jane says that it is for your own good, and I trust her.”

“Trust me?” Jane walked in the room now going to Loki’s side with a cup of ice chips. “The nurse told me to give you this instead so as not to upset your stomach. They are going to be coming in to check on you and give you some medicine now that they’ve been able to test your blood.”

Loki slowly took the cup, looking up at Jane. “I do not like the sound of that, knowing how medicine is administered in this place.” He sighed. “What’s wrong with me?”

Jane smiled. “It’s nothing too serious as long as it’s treated. They said you got some form of shelled bacteria from a water source…probably from our camping trip. It’s not too unlike the flu, but they have to make sure that the bacteria is out of your system before they can release you.” 

Loki huffed. “Figures the trip would end in this way.” One minute he was having such a good time talking with Jane, and then the next thing he ends up here. He was still amazed at how fast everything changed. He looked at his arms again. “My arms hurt,” he whined, feeling like he might cry. “I want out of here.”

Jane sighed. “Loki, you know we can’t leave until the doctor releases you. This is the best place you can be. I don’t have the medicine to help you overcome this, but don’t worry, the doctor said that you shouldn’t have to be here any more than two days tops.”

Loki pouted, a few tears escaping his eyes. "Whatever I've done to deserve this, I'm sorry. I'm truly sorry. I'll never do it again."

"Aw, sweetie, this isn't your fault. This just happens. People get sick, but you're going to get better soon. The doctor knows what you need to get better, and they are already bringing medicine to make that happen," Jane assured him as she swept away an errant lock of hair.

An older woman with angular features and tight curls rolled a cart into the room adjusting it beside the foot of his bed. She moved over to examine Loki's chart before pulling out a thermometer and blood pressure cuff from the cart. She turned to Loki. "I'm Marlene, Loki; I'm one of the head nurses in this wing and will be helping tend to you during your stay. I need to check your vitals, and once we're done with that I'm going to need you to swallow an eight ounce bottle of liquid for me. The liquid is going to taste awful, but it's going to help neutralize the growth of the bacteria you've got producing in your system."

Loki smiled up at Jane. But then his smile dropped when the nurse had walked in. He became nervous, his eyes following her every move. He kept quiet, refusing to answer her, slowly pulling his blanket closer to him and tucking it under him with his left hand and then sitting on his hand.

"Don't let her stick me," he whispered to Jane, turning pleading eyes to her.

Jane giggled. "I don't think she's going to do that...at least I am pretty sure she isn't."

Marlene gave Loki a smile. "No, no needles at the moment."

Loki turned a flushed face to the nurse. He hadn’t meant for her to hear. He tried moving as close to Jane as possible, finding the IV tube on his right arm to be quite annoying and cumbersome. He was afraid to move that arm very much for fear of pain. It looked painful anyway. He turned watery eyes to Jane again.

Jane gave Loki's shoulder a squeeze. "It's going to be okay. I'll be right here." Jane moved to the side to give the nurse room.

Marlene held up a thermometer to insert into Loki's mouth. "Don't worry, sweetie, I ain't gonna hurt ya."

Loki stiffly and hesitantly complied, opening his mouth. At the same time, he wrinkled his nose at the nurse calling him ‘sweetie’. He still didn't trust her. He didn't trust any of these mortals. He just wanted to get out of the place before they hurt him again, or worse...killed him.

Marlene seemed to pay him no mind as she went to work checking him over. She'd been doing this job long enough to know people who were in pain were often irritable. She seemed pleased to note his temperature had been maintained. Once she'd finished her examination, as promised, she pulled out a pink bottle from her cart, bringing it over to Loki. "Alright now, honey, bottoms up."

At least it wasn’t a needle, he thought. He looked at her warily as he slowly reached out and took the bottle. He lifted it to his lips and tipped it up. His eyes suddenly flew open wide and his whole face scrunched up in a grimace. What came next was a stream of the liquid being spit propelled from his mouth as he sputtered and gagged, cringing. He shoved the bottle back at the nurse.

“What are you trying to do?—poison me?” he said irritably, choking. He grabbed the cup of ice and poured as much of it as he could into his mouth, trying to drown out the medicine taste.

Marlene lifted an eyebrow before returning to her cart and grabbing another bottle to hold out to Loki. "Young man, I need you to ingest this medicine in order to keep that bacteria in your system from continuing to reproduce. Unless you want to stay here longer, I'd suggest you pinch your nose and get to swallowing."

Loki scowled, looking at the second bottle, then to the nurse, and finally to Jane for support, hoping she would come to his defense.

Jane sighed, placing a hand on his shoulder, looking at him imploringly. “Loki, please…you want to go back home, don’t you?”

“Yes,” he answered sulkily, “more than anything.” He looked back at the nurse. “But isn’t there another way? That stuff tastes nasty.”

Marlene blinked. “It’s got to get into your digestive system because this bacteria breeds in your intestines. The only other means I can guarantee you don’t want to do by way of an enema.”

Jane’s eyes widened, knowing full well Loki would rather swallow the liquid than take it like that! She leaned down and whispered in his ear exactly what an enema was.

Loki’s face reddened and his eyes widened. He leaned back and turned to look at Jane. Then he turned to the nurse. He sighed, feeling like he had been pushed into a corner. "Fine." He reached out and took the bottle from the nurse again. "Just stay away from my rear." He pouted, looking at the bottle in his hand. Finally, he pinched his nose closed and quickly downed it. He released hold of his nose and grimaced, fighting back a retch. “You mortals have such disgusting methods,” he finally said, handing the bottle back to the nurse. “Figures, coming from a race that thinks I mated with a horse.”

Marlene analyzed him a moment with a look of confusion but didn’t comment on Loki’s statement, obviously wary of drawing any more conversation out of him. She took the empty bottle from him. “You’ll need another one of these in four hours, and we’ll have to get a culture sample…which you’re not going to like,” she said the last bit in a foreboding manner as she turned and rolled her cart out, leaving the group to themselves once more.

“What?” said Loki, still gagging on the taste of the medicine. “Wh-what did she mean by that?”

Jane blinked and shrugged. “I don’t really know, Loki.”

The sound of Thor snoring came from the couch now. Sometime between when Loki had woken from being sedated and now, Thor sunk onto the couch. While Jane and Loki were talking, he’d let himself pass out.

Jane chuckled. “Thor was exhausted. He’s been so worried about you. I think the last nurse telling him you were doing well helped to relax him a little.”

Loki leaned back on his pillow. He stuck his thumb in his mouth and stared blankly at the wall over the couch where Thor slept. He struggled to piece everything together, from when he had sat on Odin’s throne, leading up to present. Everything that had happened had been Odin’s fault. He was the one who took his powers away and made him susceptible to this earth illness and all of the misery that went with it. It wasn’t fair. Nothing like this ever happened to Thor when he had been made mortal. Why did the worst possible things always have to happen to him? Tears crept into Loki’s eyes. If only Frigga were still alive. He wanted so much to be in her arms again, where he felt safe.

Seeing Loki’s eyes well with tears, Jane asked him worriedly, “Are you in pain, Loki?”

Loki shook his head, the tears in his eyes spilling down his cheeks. He took his thumb out of his mouth long enough to reply.

“Why does everything bad have to happen to me?” he said softly. His voice told that he was struggling to hold back a sob. “I want Mother. I want to be in her arms where I can feel safe.”

“Oh, Loki.” Seeing Loki like this was making her heart break, and she did the only thing she felt she could as she leaned down to embrace him in a tight hug.

Loki wrapped his arms around her and nuzzled his face into her shoulder. “I just wanted to be as good as Thor and make Odin proud of me. I never wanted any of this.”

“I know,” she said gently. “You are as good as Thor if not better in some ways, just in different capacities. It’s going to get better. Remember if you feel like you’re at the bottom of the barrel, the only way left is up right?”

He pulled away from her, searching her face. “Really? You think I’m better than Thor in some ways?” He wasn’t sure what to make of this, especially since it had come from Jane. His face scrunched up, trying to understand how she could say something like that when she was technically Thor’s girlfriend.

She just shook her head quizzically. “Is it really that hard for you to believe that you have qualities unique to yourself that make you special?”

“Mother always said I did.” He frowned. "But apparently, they aren't good enough for Odin."

The more Loki spoke about Odin and even the hesitance that Thor seemed to hold for the man was starting to create a strong dislike in Jane for the man. She grimaced. “Well, his opinion isn’t everything, Loki. You can’t please everyone, and you know what? You don’t have to.”

Loki smiled. “You never gave me that back rub.”

Jane laughed. “I did too! You are such a scamp! I gather because you’re feeling so poorly, I can give you another. Scoot over you.”

“You gave me one at the campsite. You said you’d give me one when we got home.” Loki frowned. He eased himself over the best he could to make room for Jane. He put a hand under him, a pang of fear and uneasiness suddenly hitting him. He turned a surprised face to Jane. “H-have my pajama bottoms been pulled down in the back all of this time?” he whispered. He tried grabbing hold of them to tug them up. It was then that Loki realized he was no longer wearing his pajamas as the nurses had put him in a hospital gown while he had been sedated.

Loki looked down at himself, tugging at part of the strange clothing, then back to Jane. “What is this? Wha…”

Jane winced; she’d failed to mention that to him. “Well, the hospital needs you out of your civilian clothes in case they need to…do medical stuff? I don’t know. It’s just their policy. I didn’t argue with them.”

Loki chewed his bottom lip as he stared at Jane, his face flushing several shades of red. He felt completely mortified like he had been horribly violated. He whimpered, looking down at the gown again. “Who changed me?”

Jane grimaced, feeling bad now. “It was two of the orderlies and one of the nurses. They were actually quite proficient and had it done within moments if it makes you feel any better.”

He pulled the gown down and under him to hide his exposed bottom, and pulled a blanket around him. “I want out of here…now. This place is evil."

Jane tried to comfort him by starting to massage his tense shoulders. His whole body felt clammy and hot she noted with a frown. His breathing also sounded slightly labored as he lay there. “Try to relax, Loki. You’re not helping yourself getting so worked up.”

“How can anyone relax in a place like this?” He turned to her. "It's about as bad as the Chitauri!"

Jane sighed. “Oh, come on now, Loki, that’s a bit of a harsh comparison don’t you think? These people are trying to help you not enslave you I promise.”

Loki looked wearily at Jane a few minutes. "Do you think enslaving is all the Chitauri did to me? There was unspeakable pain involved. There was the heat that seared into my flesh. As a Frost Giant, I have a high weakness to heat, as you might have already guessed. I became sick from it. It blistered my skin. They tortured me with pain and made me weak and vulnerable so I would willingly submit to them. I had to obey them to get the pain to stop. And then there was the mental pain they jolted me with telepathically. And the threat of more pain if I didn't obey." He snorted. "All they've done since I was brought here is cause me pain. So you can understand why I compare this place to the Chitauri. I'm tired of pain!"

Jane didn't know how to comfort Loki from what he was feeling. She frowned feeling helpless as she worked to relax him, kneading small circles into his back as she listened to his troubled thoughts. Her brow etched in sympathy. "I'm sorry you've suffered so much, Loki. I know it's hard to see the good a place can do for you when the procedures are painful and uncomfortable. Hospitals aren't fun places, but they really do have your best intentions in mind. I know it's not much of a conciliation, but just try to remember that we won't be here for more than a day or two."

Loki turned his head away from her to hide the tears that were spilling out of his eyes. "I want to leave _now_ ," he demanded. "And I want some proper clothes." He couldn't understand why no one would let him leave. Not going to enslave him, huh? The Chitauri wouldn't let him leave either. He wanted to get better, but he just couldn't stay in this place anymore. He knew that any moment another nurse would probably come through the door and do things to him that he'd rather not think about. It made him nervous and jumpy. Then his thoughts drifted to the feel of Jane's hand massaging his back and he relaxed a bit.

Jane could tell Loki’s emotions were riding high likely due to how sick he was. She was sure the prolonged fever only made the agitation of the hospital feel unbearable. She didn’t offer any more words, realizing Loki just needed to vent his feelings, and she did her best to massage his neck and back in the manner he seemed to like, hoping to coax him to sleep. She was exhausted herself from the day’s events, the long drive, and the stress from the sudden illness and hospital trip. She continued to rub Loki’s back for close to an hour when she was sure he’d finally fallen into a restless sleep.


	22. More Hospital Horrors

When Loki was resting comfortably enough, Jane crawled off his bed and pulled his covers up to swaddle him fully in the blankets before curling up on the opposite couch to Thor, thankful that there were two couches in the room. It didn’t take her long before she too was out like a light.

The sound of the curtain wrapping around Loki’s bed frame caused him to stir. He could hear the sound of clicking, and when his eyes cracked open, there was a young woman dabbing a washcloth on his lips. “Why hello there, cutie,” she bubbled.

When he fully understood who was in front of him, Loki’s eyes widened and he jerked away from the washcloth, his face showing worry and fear. His eyes blinked a few times and then quickly scanned the nurse for any signs of needles.

The woman was shapely with long light brown hair tied in a bun on top of her head, and when Loki jerked away from her, she cooed, “It’s only water. I saw you were looking a bit dehydrated. I came to check your vitals to see how you’re doing and change out your saline bag.” She pointed at the new saline bag. “You’re down to 101.6 degrees, so as long as the bacteria has been neutralized, you should get to leave tomorrow afternoon. Can I get you anything, sugar?”

Loki swallowed, looking at the bag in her hand. Finally, he relaxed and lay back against his pillow. He shook his head in reply to the nurse’s question and settled back to watch.

“I get to leave tomorrow?” he said softly.

“I can’t say officially, but the prognosis is looking good.” She smiled warmly. She checked his IV replacing the bag and pulling out a syringe without a needle, she inserted its contents into the IV before attaching it to the new bag turning another sweet smile on him. “That should help settle your tummy.”

Loki looked at the IV then at the nurse again, keeping a watchful eye on her. She seemed nice enough, but he still didn't trust her. He was convinced that she was hiding a needle in one of the pockets of her coat.

Noticing Loki’s nervousness and the way he stared at her, she stated, “It’s been a hard night for you, hasn’t it?”

Loki looked up at her, not entirely sure what to say. “Yes, it has,” he replied sulkily. “And you people partly caused it—giving me nasty medicine to drink, pulling my clothes off, and sticking needles in my rear and hand.” He lifted the hand that had the IV in it and cringed, looking away.

The nurse followed his hand. “I see. They can get a bit rough around here, but I’m here to, hopefully, make sure you’re comfortable as can be for your stay.” She adjusted his bed a bit while she was speaking to him since he’d seemed to be straining to sit up. “Is that better?”

"Yes," he replied. "Thank you."

“Good to here.” Her smile widened. “Would you like another pillow or perhaps a little something to eat?”

She was offering him food? Loki put a hand on his stomach. After everything that had happened, he hadn’t even thought of food, much less felt hungry. But did he dare try to eat anything? He didn’t want to take a chance on throwing it back up. Not only that but he didn’t trust these people enough to accept any kind of food from them.

“I…I’ll take a pillow,” he finally said shyly. “Am I allowed to eat?”

“Alright,” she said in a melodious tone as she reached into one of the room’s closets, bringing it back to him. She helped to lean him forward as she placed the pillow behind him and fluffed it a bit. “There you go. As for the food, they have you on a strict diet of broth, unsweetened tea, and Jell-O, to keep your stomach settled. Not the best accommodations sorry.” 

It was more than the Chitauri had offered him, he had to admit. But none of the choices sounded that appealing. He wrinkled his nose and looked back at the nurse.

She chuckled. “I know, it’s not the best options, but it’s better than the alternative of you getting sick to your stomach, right?”

Loki nodded. “I just want something to drink that isn’t ice.”

The nurse nodded. “I think I can manage that,” she said with a warm smile. “I’ll be right back.” She disappeared and came back a few minutes later with an orange liquid in a cup that she presented to him. “I hope you like Gatorade. It’ll help you replace electrolytes as well as tastes pretty good…a lot better than the other stuff they’re giving you, I know,” she said as she beamed at him.

"I've never heard of Gatorade." Loki sniffed it and made a face, handing the cup back to the nurse. "I was thinking more along the lines of actual water."

She took the cup without a word and walked off, returning a few minutes later. “One cup of water as requested.” She handed the cup to Loki now.

“Thank you,” said Loki, gladly accepting the cup of water. Finally, someone in this horrid place understood what he wanted. He greedily drank down half the cup before he stopped and looked up at the nurse, who was still standing beside the bed. “What?” he asked, wondering what she wanted.

“I was waiting for you to finish, so I can take your cup, and then Marlene is going to come back in to see you.” The nurse smiled lightly.

Loki stared at the nurse a few minutes, not liking the sound of what she said. When he started drinking again, he took care to take small sips, trying to drag it out as long as he possibly could.

The nurse didn’t rush him and instead went about adjusting where his IV had been placed in preparation for Marlene’s arrival that unbeknownst to Loki was coming no matter how quickly or slowly he chose to drink his cup of water.

As if on cue, the sound of Marlene’s cart could be heard bumping over the door frame as she wheeled it in as quietly as she could so as not to wake Jane and Thor. She stepped behind the curtain sizing up the scene before announcing, “Miss Sampson, I need to treat our patient and will need you to take his cup for me.”

“Yes, ma’am,” the nurse dutifully stated as she gently took the cup away from Loki and disappeared from inside the curtain.

As Nurse Sampson vacated, Marlene had grabbed another one of the vile bottles Loki knew he very much didn’t like the taste of and handed it to him. “Now go ahead and drink up, sweetie,” she stated, sounding almost grandmotherly. 

Loki was, by this point, getting more and more nervous. He glanced to his left, hoping to see Jane, but all he saw was the privacy curtain. This made him all the more nervous. He wished she was awake to oversee these mortals and also to be with him. Then he slowly turned and stretched out a shaky hand to take the bottle from the nurse. His stomach turned over and his nose wrinkled at remembering how vile the stuff had tasted the last time.

“I have to drink this again?” he said, looking the nurse up and down.

Marlene gave him a sympathetic smile. “Every four hours for the next twenty-four hours. It’s just to ensure that the bacteria in your intestines aren’t breeding and you can get well. I’m going to need you to roll over, so I can get a culture to see how well the medicine is working and if we are going to need to change the dosage.”

Loki’s face paled, startled at her request. “I’m not rolling over anymore for you people,” he stated flatly, although his voice was clearly about to crack. He pinched his nose and gulped down the medicine, handing the bottle back. He cringed at the aftertaste. "There. I took your vile medicine. That's all you're getting from me."

Marlene’s eyebrows rose at Loki’s admission. “We need a culture to send to the lab. I’m sorry that we can’t avoid this particular test, sir, but if you’d like, I can have another sedative prepared for you, so you can sleep through it. Would that be preferable?”

Loki swallowed, not understanding what the nurse meant as he lay there and stared at her. He did, however, know that he didn’t want any more sedatives.

“I don’t know what this ‘culture’ thing is, but I don’t want any more shots,” he said with a whimper, backing away from the nurse.

“Then I suggest you let me obtain this culture, sweetie. It won’t take but a moment, but if you’re going to be uncooperative, I’m going to have to call in some assistance. I really don’t want to make this more uncomfortable for you than it has to be,” Marlene stated firmly.

“No!” Loki suddenly shouted, scowling. “I want you mortals to stay away from me! I’m a prince! I demand that you keep your hands away from me and let me out of here!" He continued backing away as far as the bed would allow. "Jane!" he shouted. "JANE!"

Jane and Thor both woke with a start, rushing over to see what the commotion was about. Jane peeled the curtain back, and Thor followed behind her. “What! What’s going on, Loki?” Jane asked in alarm.

Thor was still a bit groggy just taking the scene in with mild confusion.

Marlene seemed a bit taken aback by the explosion, shaking her head. “I’ve just informed Loki that I need to get a culture sample, and he’s being most uncooperative.”

“I don’t know what she’s talking about, Jane, but I know it probably involves needles,” Loki whimpered, reaching out to her. “I took her old nasty medicine again. Now tell her to leave me alone!”

Jane sighed looking back and forth tiredly between Loki and the nurse. She’d gotten about two hours of sleep, and the dark circles under her eyes were a testament of her exhaustion. “Loki…please let the nurse do what she needs to do. They need to run their tests to make sure you’re getting well.”

Thor reached over to Loki, putting a hand on his shoulder. “Loki, you are being unreasonable. Surely it cannot be that bad?”

Marlene pulled out a very long Q-tip. “I need to swab the inside of your intestine; one quick insertion and we will be done. I offered a sedative, but the patient grew volatile,” she stated, shaking her head in obvious frustration.

Loki’s head snapped around to look at the nurse and the Q-tip. His face paling when he finally understood what she planned on doing. He scowled. “And you mortals call _me_ evil.” He sneered, his eyes turning dark. “If I had my powers I’d make the whole lot of you pay dearly for this.”

Marlene’s brow furrowed as she looked to Jane who seemed to be Loki’s ward from what his chart read. “Pardon me, ma’am; may I speak with you?”

Jane looked up and nodded. “Oh, yeah. Sure.” She moved around Thor and around to the other side where Marlene met her.

Speaking in low tones Marlene stated worriedly, “Is…is your ward in need of medication, miss? He’s had several outbursts that have been…quite colorful, but they are leaving me to believe he might need some professional help.”

Jane’s face reddened, realizing how a lot of what Loki was espousing must sound ludicrous. “No, no…he’s imaginative…and sick. I’m sorry. He’s never been to a hospital before, so he’s a bit taken off guard.”

Marlene nodded. “I understand, but I do need him to let us get this culture, so we can proceed with his testing. It may be best if we sedate him if you think he’s going to struggle.”

Jane groaned. “Uh… give me a few minutes to talk to him, okay?”

Marlene nodded again. “As you wish. I will obtain a sedative and two of our orderlies and come back in about five minutes.” Marlene simply turned then and headed out the door.

Thor had been peeking outside the curtain listening to their conversation, a grim expression etching his features as he turned back to Loki. “Brother, you are going to have to go through with what the Midgard healers wish if we are to leave here.”

Jane walked around the side of the privacy curtain now looking miserable, not looking forward to this conversation with Loki. 

Loki pouted up at Thor then looked over to Jane, pulling his blanket up to his chin. “I don’t care if you both spank me after this is over; I’m not going through with any of this! It’s vile and humiliating. There has to be a better way of getting well in this realm. I took the medicine like the nurse wanted. I don't see why they have to insist on poking and prodding me in my private areas."

Jane grimaced, feeling bad for Loki. “They need to do it, Loki, but the nurse told me they could put you to sleep through the process if you’d prefer. It…might be less traumatizing if you did just go ahead and let them sedate you.”

Thor nodded his agreement. “Jane is right, Loki; you may wish to sleep through it. We will be here for you either way.”

Loki turned wide, watery eyes to Jane, not believing she was taking the nurse's side. “But…they’ll stick my rear again!”

Jane cringed, hating the look of betrayal Loki wore. “I know, Loki, but which option do you think will be worse for you to endure?”

“Both!” Loki replied without hesitation, not understanding why Jane had even asked such a question. His eyes were beginning to leak tears down his cheeks. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest and a growing knot of dread welling up in his stomach when he realized there was no way out of the current situation. It was either go through the barbaric atrocity that the nurse wanted to do or get a needle in his butt again; both options were not pleasing to him in the slightest. And what was worse is that Jane and Thor were actually going along with these psychotic mortals! He felt like he was alone in this battle. So be it, then.

Thor sighed. “You’re making this more difficult than it needs to be, Loki, and you’re upsetting Jane.”

Jane wore a stricken expression now not knowing what to say to help Loki come to terms with the situation. “She’s going to want an answer when she comes back any minute now, so you’re going to have to choose, Loki.”

Loki’s eyes continued to water as he looked at Jane. “Don’t make me choose,” he finally said. “If I had my way, I’d get out of this bed and walk out of here. If it wasn’t for these embarrassing and ridiculous clothes I have on, I would, because I've had enough of this nonsense. I want my powers back so my body can heal itself!"

Thor’s brow drew down as he complained. “Father is not going to give you back your powers over a mild Midgardian sickness that you will heal from in short order. You’re going to have to suck it up and handle what’s coming.”

“Thor!” Jane admonished him with a withering glare. “You need to be a little more considerate of Loki’s feelings. Can’t you tell he’s afraid and unhappy?”

Thor sighed. “Aye; I know this well, but he must go through it regardless of his feelings on the matter.”

Loki eyed Jane with admiration, then he turned a hard glare at Thor. “And you wonder why I have ill feelings toward you,” he seethed. “Can’t you get through your thick head that not everyone is as strong as you are?—that not everyone is a warrior? Can't you understand that some people do become afraid? Let one of those nurses jab a needle in your rear and see if you still say the same." Actually, Loki had to fight back a smirk at the thought of Thor going through what he was going through.

Thor rubbed his temples. “Believe it or not, Loki, I did have a similar experience. I seem to remember you visiting me through a vision when I had been contained on Midgard and jabbed with a needle. And I was not in need of medicines!”

Jane covered her mouth trying not to laugh at the incensed expression Thor now carried as she remembered well his descriptors on that particular experience when he’d spoken to her about what he’d been through. 

Loki slowly leaned back against his pillows, his satisfied smirk fully showing.

It was then that Marlene reentered the room, and beside her trailed two very large men that stood still, waiting for instruction when she stopped. Marlene regarded the three a moment before peering expectantly at Loki. “Have you decided how we plan to approach this impasse?”

Jane gazed back at Loki grabbing his hand and giving it a squeeze as she replied in an almost whisper, “You’re going to have to decide, Loki.”

The moment the nurse and men entered, Loki’s smirk fell. His eyes quickly moved to the syringe in the nurse’s hand and his breath quickened. He turned a saddened face to Jane, his facial features showing that he was struggling to hold back the tears that wanted to flow out in full force. He shook his head, chewing on his lip. “I don’t want either one,” he whispered back, a sob catching in his throat. He was starting to feel queasy at his stomach.

Jane squeezed his hand again. “I know you don’t, Loki, but you’re going to have to choose one, or they are going to choose for you.”

Loki turned a scowl to the nurse, then he turned his head to the side, not wanting to have anything to do with the subject anymore. They were crazy if they thought he was going to choose his own humiliation.

Marlene turned her head to the side giving a curt nod in the direction of the orderlies, and one moved on either side of the bed. The man on Jane and Loki’s side murmured an “excuse me ma’am,” as both Jane and Thor backed away knowing what was coming next. Both looked rather uneasy, and Jane was wringing her hands while Thor wrapped an arm around her for comfort.

Loki’s head shot up, his eyes growing wide. He looked from one orderly to the other. “No, no...” Loki scrambled and kicked, trying to get away but failing. “Please, don’t do this to me!” he sniveled. He pulled the blanket down to tuck under him.

Marlene moved forward, and the orderlies took their cue to also proceed as needed, pulling Loki’s covers aside and gently grabbing him at different points to flip him onto his stomach and hold him in place.

Loki jerked his arms away from the orderlies and kicked away the hands that landed on his legs. “NO! Get away from me!” he choked out. “Please, don’t, I beg of you.” Tears were now streaming down his cheeks as he quickly looked from each person, in turn, his eyes finally settling on the nurse.

Marlene brokered no hesitation as she blinked. “This has to happen, Loki. You’re only making it hard on yourself. Since you don’t want to acquiesce to what we need to do, I’ve chosen to sedate you. I can’t abide you thrashing about when we go to obtain a culture from you because you could harm yourself. This is, in turn, the best method I can reason to handle your fears.” She turned briefly to the men. “Orderlies, if you will.”

The men moved in unison having done similar procedures on many other patients and worked quickly to secure Loki once more while Marlene with one simple motion flipped his gown up, exposing his rear. The patchy pink areas were not lost on her, and she found herself nodding with approval, although she said nothing out loud merely moving to Loki’s side and readying the needle.

Loki felt the cold breeze hit his rear the moment the nurse pulled his gown back, and he felt his heart drop into his stomach. Not only because of what he knew was coming but because he was also exposed in front of complete strangers. His already reddened face turned a deeper shade of red.

“Please don’t! Please!” he continued to scream hoarsely into his pillows, fighting to move his head to the side for fear of becoming smothered. He tried kicking his legs but found them securely held in place by the orderlies. Next, he tried wrenching his arms loose, but they, too, were secured. Teetering on the edge of panic, he tried squirming whatever body part he could move as he fought to look over his shoulder. He caught sight of Marlene and the needle in her hands, and a loud sob came up his throat. "C-can't we talk about this? Please?"

Marlene said nothing, though, completely ignoring Loki’s pleas as she pulled an iodine swab from her nurse’s smock and applied a liberal amount to the right hind quarter of his buttocks. As she did this she announced dryly, “You’re going to feel a small prick of pain, but if you can, try to relax as it will lessen the pain than if you tense.” No sooner than she had said this did she insert the needle in its intended spot with a swift jab.

Loki’s mind barely took in what the nurse said before the burning pain hit. He tensed, his watery eyes flew open and he uttered a pained, strained gasp. Not meaning to, he let out a loud, undignified scream, jerking his arms in the orderlies’ hold. Small prick? It felt like he had been stabbed. He looked over his shoulder at the nurse, his face masked in pain as he spewed out a choice word in old Norse. He knew the nurse wouldn’t understand what he had said, but it still felt good to get it out.

"Owwwwwwwwwwwww..." Loki wailed and sniffled. "It hurts! I don't care what you do to lessen the pain. It still hurts!"

Marlene withdrew the needle, wiping the spot with an alcohol towelette before placing a Band-Aid on the puncture. “Alright now. It’s all over. I’ll come back in twenty minutes to perform the culture.”

The orderlies released Loki now stepping away from him as Marlene reached forward to tug his gown back into place and cover him once more with his sheet.

Loki felt the orderlies release him and his covers being moved back into place, but he remained laying in the same position, bawling into his pillow. Although, the tears were for more than just the pain of the shot. He was tired, frustrated, angry, humiliated, scared, unhappy, and a jumble of other emotions. The tears from the shot opened the floodgates wide, and he was finally releasing what had been building ever since everything had happened. Finally, he moved his hand back to rub at the injection site. A sob caused him to almost choke.

The nurse and orderlies left, and Jane quickly pulled the privacy curtain back, rubbing at Loki’s back, almost on the verge of tears herself seeing Loki so distraught. “Oh! I’m so sorry, Loki!” She moved to petting his hair now just wanting to see his face as the sounds he was making had her heart fluttering in an emotional panic.

Thor moved solemnly to stand beside Jane unable to say anything since he wasn’t overly good at offering comfort.

At hearing Jane’s voice, Loki slowly lifted his head to look up at her, sniffing away tears. His face was red and streaked with both tear stains and snot; strands of his black hair were messily stuck in places. Despite his state, he still managed a small smile at seeing her. But it faded when he saw that her eyes were watery. His sobs calmed somewhat, but he still choked on his tears. He studied her face, not understanding why she was about to cry when he was the one who got the shot.

She didn’t wait for any words as she encompassed Loki in a severe hug. “I hate seeing you like this!” She held him tightly now, wishing to ease his pain in whatever way that she could.

Loki allowed himself to be pulled into the hug, grateful to finally feel safe. Fresh tears spilled out of his eyes as he wrapped an arm around Jane.

"It hurt," he sniveled. He reached back to again rub at his rear.

“I know, I know it did.” Jane hugged him a little tighter. “It’s all over now, though, and by the time you wake up, all this messy affair will be done.”

"I hope so," he mumbled, moving a hand around to wipe at his face. Sensing Thor's presence, he looked over at his brother, wondering why he was remaining so quiet. He secretly craved comfort from his brother, despite his feelings towards him. He was still family, after all. He couldn't understand why Thor was so clueless and hesitant to give it—to be there when he needed him the most. If it wasn't for Jane, he wouldn't have anyone, which made him dread even more the day they returned to Asgard. Turning away from Thor, Loki wrapped his arm tighter around Jane and leaned into the loving, gentle touch of her hand combing through his hair, his eyes feeling heavy.

Jane just held Loki for several minutes until his body started to feel as if it were going limp. “I think the sedative is working,” she whispered gently as she helped lay him back down.

Thor had silently watched, and as much as he wished to comfort Loki, he felt Jane was better suited for it at the moment. He did, however, stay by his side, a silent protector.

Groggily, Loki grabbed hold of Jane’s shirt sleeve and held on. “You’ll be here when I wake up, won’t you?” he asked.

She smiled at him, running her hand through his hair. "I don't plan to leave the room, Loki."

Loki smiled back at her, relaxing under the feel of her hand in his hair. He struggled to keep his eyes open, Jane’s form becoming blurred. But for one split second, he could have sworn he saw Frigga standing next to him instead of Jane, her warm, loving eyes and smile peering down at him. “Mama?” he mumbled, reaching out to her. He blinked, and she was gone. In her place stood Jane again. He leaned his head back, not understanding.

Jane seemed sympathetic as she continued to play with his hair, assuming the drugs were likely playing tricks on Loki’s mind. “Try to let the medicine help you rest, Loki. You’re going to feel much better after you wake and all of this is behind you.”

Behind him—Loki wanted to frown at her choice of words, his hand still slowly rubbing at his butt. He settled back into his pillow and closed his eyes, falling into sleep.

Loki did not wake again for another six hours, and the culture had been taken many hours earlier. Thor was too squeamish when he’d realized what it entailed, but Jane was sure to hold Loki’s hand throughout the procedure glad that he would have no recollection of it ever happening.

When it had been just Marlene and Jane, the woman whispered conspiratorially, pointing at Loki’s backside, “Your handiwork?”

Jane turned three shades of red as she stared at the woman in disbelief. “Um…yes?”

Marlene nodded. “It’s a good start. He definitely needs some guidance,” she commented offhandedly.

Feeling entirely too embarrassed for both Loki and herself, Jane remained silent just staring at the nurse in shocked awe.

Marlene simply gave her a small knowing smile.

Once the culture was taken, Marlene had left, and Jane had placed another blanket on Loki before lying down on the couch to get some much-needed rest. Thor had gone to check on Darcy to find a way to remove himself from what Loki was going through. He was glad they hadn’t done anything like that to him! He’d returned to both Loki and Jane fast asleep, and he leaned down to give Jane’s cheek a tender kiss, remembering how Loki had mistaken her momentarily for their mother. She was a good woman, and Thor knew she was already a mother in spirit if not physically so. Taking his place on the other couch, Thor leaned back letting himself drift off as well.


	23. Going Home

Loki’s eyes cracked open. He groaned when the curtain surrounding his bed was the first thing that came into focus. He had hoped the whole hospital incident had been a horrible nightmare and that he would wake up in the purple room in Jane’s house. It took him a few minutes to get his bearings. After he yawned several times and stretched, he realized he was still lying on his stomach, which by now had become an uncomfortable position. He stiffly moved to turn over, cringing at the IV tube. Finally, after some struggling, he managed to roll over on his back. He winced and sucked in a breath when his bottom touched the mattress, and he quickly pushed a hand under him to rub at the area the nurse had jabbed the last needle into. It was almost in the same spot he had gotten the other shot in, making the area very tender. Not to mention he had still been slightly sore prior from the spanking Jane had given him. His fingers felt of the band-aid still stuck there and he frowned. He rolled over on his side a little, pulled his gown up, and peeled off the bandage. He looked at it curiously and then wadded it up to throw on the floor. He pulled his gown back down and covered himself with the blankets again. He sighed, suddenly feeling bored and lonely. At first, he thought he was alone, but then he heard Thor’s snoring on the other side of the curtain. Loki leaned his head back to look up at the strange machines at the head of his bed, and at the IV bag. He tugged at the front of his gown, wishing he had his pajamas back. He also wanted a shower. He was tired of being in bed. Actually, he just wanted to be anywhere besides the hospital.

Jane stirred after Loki had been sitting alone for about an hour, awake, she groaned blearily as her eyes refocused and she realized once more where she was. She sat up with a stretch and shambled over to Loki’s bedside. “Hey there,” she said sleepily.

“Jane,” he said softly, looking over at her. He smiled, stretching his hand out to her. “Can I go home now? I’m bored,” he whined miserably, his green eyes searching her face.

She frowned. “As soon as the doctors say you can, believe me, we will. I’ll go try to see what I can find out from the nurse’s station.” She patted his hand and walked out of the room. She was gone about thirty minutes, but when she returned, Jane wore a winning smile. “I spoke to the nurses, and they said that your culture came back showing the bacteria was dying out, so you’re going to be able to come home once they get your papers processed!”

It was the best news he’d heard in a long time. Loki smiled wide, holding his arms out to hug Jane.

Jane squeezed him tightly just happy to see Loki smile again.

The nurse that Loki had found he liked, Nurse Sampson, rolled in with a tray of food. “I thought you might be hungry. I brought you some chicken noodle soup and even though you’re technically not allowed to have it, I put a chocolate chip cookie in there as well.” She gave Loki a wink.

Loki gave Jane another hug and turned his smiling face to the nurse, his eyes sparkling for the first time since he'd been admitted. Truthfully, he wasn’t all that hungry, even though he had gone for quite awhile without food. Due to being sick, stress, the shots, and the whole atmosphere of the hospital, he found that his appetite had pretty much died. But since the nurse had been so kind as to bring him food, he figured he needed to try and eat a little something. If he didn’t, he was afraid they’d keep him there longer.

“Tha-that sounds good,” Loki said softly. “I guess I could try to eat something.” He nervously looked from the nurse to Jane and back to the nurse. Even though this nurse seemed nicer than the others, and she hadn't expressed any interest in sticking him with needles, he was still leery. He felt his muscles tense, half expecting there to be a catch somewhere. He still eyed the pockets of her clothing, as if he expected a syringe to be tucked in one of them.

The nurse left the tray and departed. As Loki ate, Jane’s stomach growled. “I should probably go down to the house and pick up a little something for me and Thor. I’m sure Darcy would like to know how you’re feeling.”

Loki stopped in the middle of eating, looking at Jane. He didn’t want her to leave him there alone, but he knew she needed to eat, too. Finally, he gave a small nod and a smile.

She reached over to give him another hug as she stood, having been sitting next to him on the bed. “I won’t be too long. I’ll even bring you back a fresh change of clothes.”

“Thank you,” he said. “It’ll be nice to get out of this…thing.” He tugged at his gown. “Could you bring me a hairbrush, too?” he said in afterthought.

Jane nodded. “I think I can manage that.” She left shortly after to return in a little over an hour later with tuna sandwiches. Thor was more than happy to be surprised with food. “I brought you one as well.” Jane proffered a tuna sandwich to Loki. “Darcy wanted me to tell you to hurry up and get better, so she has someone to tease again.”

Loki took the sandwich, smiling at Jane’s words. “I want nothing more,” he replied. He lifted his right arm. “When can I get this out?” he asked, referring to the IV.

“I’ll go ask,” Jane offered, heading out to the nurse’s desk. It didn’t take long; Jane had managed to get Nurse Sampson to come back with her, and she seemed more than happy to help. “I’m guessing you’re ready to get that thing out, aren’t you?” She smiled at Loki, untaping the hoses and finally removing the IV entirely.

Loki turned his head, wincing when the IV was removed from his hand. But he turned his head around to face the nurse again while she finished removing the tape and hose from his arm. Timidly and curiously, he reached out and touched the stethoscope around her neck.

Nurse Sampson tittered lightly. "Curious?" She removed the stethoscope from her neck and placed it in his lap. "Go on; try it out."

Loki rubbed his right hand as he stared down at the stethoscope. His facial features probably looked far more childlike than he intended them to as he glanced up at the nurse. Slowly he picked up the strange looking instrument, looking it over and studying its design. Gently, he placed the earpieces in his ears and took the other end of it and slid it down the neck of his gown, placing it where his heart was. He listened a few seconds, his eyes growing wide. He turned a smile to Jane and then to Nurse Sampson.

The nurse beamed. “I’ve had that pair since nursing school, believe it or not. It still never ceases to please me to hear the thrum of a healthy beating heart.”

“It _is_ intriguing, I’ll admit,” he said. “Quite possibly the only thing about this place that I have a positive opinion on,” He shyly looked up at the nurse, smiling, “except for you.”

She gave Loki a winning smile. “Well, I’m sorry the majority of your stay has been miserable, but if I could have brightened your day at all, it makes my day to hear it.”

Loki continued to smile up at Sampson, his cheeks blushing faintly. Was she…flirting with him? He swallowed, gathering the stethoscope in his hands and handing it back to her, his cheeks turning a darker shade of red. “Thank you.” He cleared his throat. "Miserable doesn't even begin to describe it."

She placed the stethoscope back around her neck. “I’ll go see the head nurse about getting your exit papers prepared, so you can get back to the comfort of your own bed then, Loki.” She patted his knee tenderly as she said this and walked out.

Jane ran a hand through his hair, smiling. “See, we’re going to get to go home any time now.”

Loki smiled, leaning into the feel of Jane’s hand. He held up the still wrapped sandwich she’d given him, wrinkling his nose. “I don’t think I want this after all. The thought of it is making my stomach upset. I’ll eat something later when we get home.” He leaned over to peer around Jane. "You know. I think that nurse likes me."

Thor was quick to hop off the couch having already devoured his sandwich. “If you don’t wish to eat it, I’ll more than happily do so!”

Jane laughed at the both of them handing the sandwich back to Thor whose face lit up to receive it before she turned back to Loki. “You think she’s flirting with you, do you?”

Loki rolled his eyes at Thor, then turned his attention back to Jane. He gave a shy shrug, smiling. “I don’t know, but it seems that way.”

Thor had already retreated to the couch to begin devouring Loki’s sandwich as well.

“Maybe you should ask her for her number, eh?” Jane joked, giving his shoulder a playful punch.

Loki grinned, rubbing the area she punched. His cheeks blushed again. "Why do you think she's flirting with me?"

Jane’s smile widened. “Well, I don’t know; she does seem to try and make sure you’re well-tended to and happy, and her face is always glowing when she’s talking to you.” She shrugged innocently. “I’m probably just seeing things that aren’t there, but…you never know.”

Loki’s brow wrinkled in thought. “Seems like I remember her calling me…‘cutie’…when I woke up and first saw her hovering over me with her washcloth.”

Marlene gave Loki a big smile. “I see you’re feeling much better now! Tests have come back to clear you to go home. Although you’ll still need to take this…” She shook a bottle of the vile stuff Loki disdained so much, “…every four hours for the next forty-eight hours.”

Loki scowled dangerously when he saw Marlene walk in. He quickly tucked his bedcovers under him and sat on both hands, as if the actions alone could shield his butt from whatever needles and prodding objects the nurse had. “Just what I need to make my day complete; a visit from the devil nurse.” He sneered, looking at the bottle she held. “You enjoy making me miserable, don't you? And what if I don't take it? You going to use my butt as a dart board?"

“Loki!” Jane chided before glancing back to the skeptical nurse. “Don’t worry, he’ll take them.”

“Hmm. Well, yes, I’m sure you have ways to ensure that he does.” She cleared her throat. “In any case, to not do so will likely mean that you’ll end up back here again. So please do ignore my advice, young man, as I’m quite sure you’ll be seeing me again by the week’s end to repeat this whole process.”

Loki’s scowl melted for a split second as he turned a worried look to Jane scolding him. He swallowed, pushing his hands further under him. Then he went back to scowling at Marlene, determined to keep his eyes on her while she was in the room.

“I have no plans to come back here and repeat any of this,” he darkly told the nurse. “I also have no plans to take that filthy stuff either. You said that I'm better and can leave, so I don't see any reason why I need to keep on taking it.” As he said this, he couldn’t help wondering what the nurse had meant when she spoke to Jane in the way she had. He blinked and turned a curious look to Jane.

Jane had fixed him with a firm glare. “Loki, the nurse has said you need to take this medicine in order to get better, so you will be taking it. This isn’t a discussion we’re having unless you want to talk about it in private.”

A small smirk tugged at the older woman’s lips, but she said nothing more on the subject, only proffering a manila folder holding a bunch of paperwork to Jane. “I’ve highlighted all of the areas that need a signature from you to perform the final release for your insurance to cover his stay. Once you are done, please bring this paperwork to the nurse’s station, and you may go.”

Loki’s scowl faded. He turned a nervous look up at the nurse then back to Jane as he settled back against his pillows with a pout. He didn’t relish the thought of Jane giving him a spanking on top of the tender area the shots had made.

“Yes, ma’am,” he mumbled gloomily. He turned a soured look to Marlene.

Marlene’s smile seemed to grow at Loki’s compliance as she reached out once more with the bottle for him to take. “I’ll be sure to have the prescription for your medicine ready at the desk when you sign out.”

Loki hesitated then reached out and yanked the bottle from her hand. He quickly stuck his tongue out at her, giving a sneer.

Marlene only glanced back at Jane remarking as she left, “You’ve got your hands full I see. Good luck with that one.”

Loki continued sneering as he watched Marlene leave the room. Sighing, he turned to Jane. “Can I get dressed in actual clothes now? You said you were going to bring me some and my hairbrush.”

Jane chuckled. “I did. Why don’t you go use the shower now that your IV has been removed? Your clothes are in that bag over there.” She pointed to the hospital chair that she’d placed the bag once she’d returned.

Loki was about to tell Jane that he’d rather wait and take a shower when they got home, but then he thought of Nurse Sampson and nodded. He handed Jane the bottle of medicine, glad to be rid of it, and eased his way out of bed to stiffly stand, aching in places he didn’t even know he had. He grabbed up the bag that held his clothes and disappeared into the bathroom.

Moments later, the bathroom door opened and Loki stepped out, dressed in a pair of jeans, tennis shoes, and a green T-shirt. His hair was neatly brushed back, a few strands spilling over his slender shoulders.

“That shower felt so good,” he said. He walked to the bed and threw the hospital gown across it. “And I’m glad to be leaving that horrid thing behind.”

Jane had been sitting on the couch, finishing up the paperwork nurse Marlene had handed her, when Loki exited looking much better than he had, although his eyes were still lined with dark circles indicating, even if he was feeling better, that he wasn’t well enough yet to be out of bed for long. This reminded her of the medicine that Loki had bypassed to take a shower. She smiled up at him. “I’m glad you’re feeling better. The shower seems to have done wonders for you as well as a change of clothes, but you forgot something.” She rose, holding out his medicine. “You need to take this, Loki, doctor’s orders.”

Loki’s heart dropped as his smile vanished and his eyes lowered to the bottle. He didn’t want to. His stomach felt nauseous just thinking about the taste. He turned his gaze from the bottle to look elsewhere, letting his bag slip out of his hands into the chair beside him. When he looked back to Jane, he gave her one of his pitiful puppy looks.

Jane grimaced. “Oh, don’t give me that look; you make me want to cry. You only have to deal with it for the next two days. Try to see the silver lining.”

“It tastes awful…” he whined pitifully. 

“Loki, do as Jane commands,” Thor boomed, brokering no further resistance.

Jane only frowned that Thor felt the need to interject, but she didn’t do anything to overthrow his verdict.

Loki grimaced at Thor's words. He knew by now what he'd get if he didn't obey. Since they were in a public place, he didn't feel like causing a scene that would lead to an embarrassing display of...drama. Sighing, he reached forward and took the bottle from Jane's hand. He pinched his nose closed and drank the medicine down, cringing and gagging after releasing hold of his nose. He silently handed the bottle back, his eyes squeezed tightly closed. His stomach lurched when he had swallowed all of it, and he hoped he wouldn't throw up.

“I got you some ice water on top of the tray by your bed…that might help take the taste out of your mouth,” Jane soothed.

Loki quickly turned and grabbed up the cup and downed the entire thing without taking a breath. It helped a bit, but the aftertaste still lingered like a bad memory. He gagged. After putting the cup back in its place, he walked over and gingerly sat down next to Jane, leaning against her to watch her finish the paperwork.

She wrapped an arm around him, playing with his hair absently as she finished up the remaining pages of the packet. Sighing out, “Finally!” once the task had been completed. “Let’s get your things, Loki, and we can get out of here.”

Thor’s expression also lit up hearing this news as he hopped up, ready to go as well.

Loki eagerly pulled himself to standing and went to work gathering up his bag, pajamas, and the blankets they'd brought with him. He handed the blankets to Jane and quickly walked over to the door, waiting for Thor and Jane. 

Jane gathered the paperwork while Thor moved to take the blankets and over to Loki offering to carry his things since he teetered holding them. “Let me carry those for you, brother,” he said gently.

Loki looked at the door, thinking of Nurse Sampson, then he turned back to Thor. He nodded and handed his clothes and bag to him. He was still feeling a little weak anyway. “Thank you,” he said. He ran his hands over his hair and made sure it was just right while he waited.

Having finished the paperwork, Jane did a once over of the room to ensure they weren’t leaving anything behind before heading over to Thor and Loki and motioning to them with a thumbs up. “Looks like we’re good to go; after you.” She gestured towards the large desk down the hall that seemed to have nurses filtering in and out of the station.

Loki swallowed when he saw the amount of nurses in the distant. He secretly hoped he’d never see another white-coated mortal as long as he lived. But then he caught sight of Sampson and found himself keeping pace beside Jane as they neared the desk. When they approached, Loki strutted up and leaned forward across the desk’s top, folding his arms. He shot Marlene a frown, and then he turned to Sampson. When she looked up and caught sight of him, he flashed her a big grin and a wink, brushing an unruly lock of his hair back.

Nurse Sampson smiled widely back at him. “So I see you’re ready to leave us then, cutie? Nice duds by the way; much better than that drab hospital gown.”

Marlene harrumphed at Loki, only giving him a casual glance before looking back down and pulling the prescription that had been written for Loki off the desk and handing it to Jane. “I’ve already called the pharmacy; they should have his medicine ready to pick up by the time you get there.” 

He smiled at Jane, bumping his shoulder against hers. “Hear that? She called me cutie again,” he whispered, clearly soaking up the attention. He turned to Sampson again, his cheeks turning slightly red. He glanced down at his clothes, then looked back at her, smiling brightly. “Thanks. And, yeah, I’m ready to leave.” He subtly adjusted his position a bit, leaning against the desk and making sure his tight jeans brought out the curves of his butt. But his actions were not lost on Jane beside him.

“Oh, lordy.” Jane rolled her eyes at Loki’s behavior no less than a little amused. “You’re something else, Loki,” she teased.

Nurse Sampson seemed to enjoy his prostrating and let out a soft giggle behind her impossibly wide smile.

Even Thor found he couldn’t stop grinning at the antics he was seeing.

Jane turned to Marlene, slightly embarrassed for Loki. “Uh, thanks. We’ll get this filled as soon as we get Loki back home and in bed.”

“Hmm. Yes; that sounds wise,” Marlene commented dryly just watching the scene before her with mild distaste, more so of her nurse's behavior than Loki's.

“I hate to leave such a charming smiling face such as yours,” Loki said to Sampson, “but I must. Thank you for your kind hospitality. Sad I can't say the same for...others...around here." With the last part, he shot a sidelong glance at Marlene.

Nurse Sampson beamed at the praise. “Aw! It was a pleasure, Loki. And as much as I enjoyed being your nurse, I hope I don’t have to see you back here again anytime soon.”

Marlene let out a long sigh, commenting sarcastically, “Yes; some of us are immune to your charms, sir.”

Jane couldn’t help laughing as she nudged Loki. “Come on, lover boy; let’s go home.” 

“Now?” Loki said, turning to Jane. He sighed and turned to Sampson. “I hope I don’t have to come back here either.” He reached and took her hand, planting a light kiss on it before giving her another wink. "But if I ever do, I hope I get you again."

Nurse Sampson blushed as she giggled not unlike a schoolgirl at the affections Loki was administering to her. “If you do come back, I’ll be sure to seek you out.”

Thor laid a hand on Loki’s shoulder. “If you’re done wooing the ladies, brother, let us make our way back to Jane’s.”

Loki continued smiling at Sampson as he turned to follow Thor and Jane down the hallway. He turned a beaming face to Jane when they got far enough away from the nurse’s desk where he could no longer see Sampson. "See? She likes me."

Jane burst out with a laugh. “Yes, Loki, she most certainly does.”

They all loaded into the van and drove back to the house within minutes. Jane was silently thankful that she only lived two blocks from the hospital.

Loki was more than happy to be out of the hospital and going home. He never, ever wanted to see that place again. Although Sampson was nice, he thought. A smile formed on his lips when his thoughts drifted to the nurse. But he was looking forward to changing into his pajamas and kicking back and reading. Maybe he’d talk Jane into giving him another back rub.

When they arrived at Jane’s house, Darcy met them as they piled out of the van.

Darcy had a small smile on her face, seeing Loki looking much healthier than when they had left with him. “You didn’t die. That’s good to know,” she teased him as Loki walked by her.

Jane and Thor unloaded the blankets and Loki’s belongings before heading into the house themselves. Jane groaned. “I’ve got to head to the pharmacy to pick up Loki’s medicine. He’s going to need another dose in about three hours.”

Thor nodded. “Do you want me to go with you?”

She waved him off. “It’s not too far away. Besides, you should help Loki get settled back in.”

Thor gave another small nod before pulling her in for a quick kiss to which she smiled sweetly at him for before heading out the door.

“No, I didn’t die, Darcy,” Loki said. “But I felt like I was going to. What was wrong with me wasn’t half as bad as all of the unspeakable things they did to me in that horrid place.” He shuddered at the memories. He then turned to Thor. “You can put my belongings in my room.”

Thor’s expression flattened. “Aye, your princeliness,” he mocked Loki’s demand but still moved to place his baggage in his room as Loki had requested.

Darcy laughed, beaming at Loki. “Well, for what it’s worth, I’m glad you’re feeling better. You kinda scared us earlier with all that high fever stuff.”

Loki smiled a genuine smile at Darcy. “It scared me, too,” he said softly. He backed away from the girl and turned to walk down the hall. “If you’ll excuse me, I’d like to change into some comfortable clothes.” Giving Darcy one last smile, he walked down the hall and turned to enter his bedroom. He was overjoyed to set eyes on the purple walls, which is something he never thought he would feel. He waited a few minutes, watching as Thor finished setting down the last of his belongings.

Thor smiled at him as he rose from setting his things down. “It feels good to be back here; I’m sure even more so for you, brother.” He took the two steps that separated them and surprised Loki by pulling him into a fierce hug. “It is good to see you getting well,” he said, a well of obvious emotion tingeing his voice.

The hug took Loki by surprise, but what made him even more surprised is that he actually welcomed it. He threw his arms around his brother’s neck and smiled, burying his face in Thor’s shoulder. A few tears escaped his eyes.

“I won’t be well if you crush me to death,” Loki finally gasped out. “I’m powerless now, remember?”

Thor sniffed, on the verge of tears himself as he pulled his brother away, holding him now by the shoulders affectionately. “Aye. I will be more careful,” Thor said through a wide smile. He looked Loki up and down once more assessing his health absently. “I’ll let you get comfortable. I’ll go grab a shower, and when Jane gets back perhaps we can all enjoy one of the picture stories she has.”

“Sounds good.” Loki smiled. Thor nodded and left the room. “They’re called movies, Thor.” Loki rolled his eyes and smiled as an afterthought. He closed the door behind Thor and turned to walk toward his bed. He reached down and picked up one of the bags, setting it on the bed. He began pulling his things out and laying them out—his hairbrush, the book Frigga gave him, pajamas, and other items Jane had tossed in. He picked up his favorite silky green pajamas and buried his face in them, sighing. The bottoms might have been too big, but he still loved how comfortable they were. Quickly, he set to work pulling his clothes off and changed into the pajamas, glad to finally have something on besides the hospital gown. That thing made it far too easy for those nurses to get to him. Well… his pajamas really weren’t any better. Loki lifted his top and strained to look behind him. Even when he tied his pajama bottoms as tight as he could, the back part still drooped down, revealing part of his butt cheeks and crack. He blushed, and tugged them up and pulled his top down over them to hide his rear. Despite what he did, they were determined to droop down. Giving up, he threw some blankets and a pillow on the floor, grabbed a book, and flopped down on his tummy. He had thought about lying on the bed, but he was really tired of being in bed. He flipped through his choice of book but found that he couldn’t concentrate right away. His thoughts drifted to Jane and when she’d be back with more of that horrible medicine. He gagged just thinking about it. Sighing, he opened the book again and started to read.

Jane was gone almost an hour, but when she returned, she not only had Loki’s medicine but a pint of vanilla ice cream. “Is Loki asleep?”

Darcy, who was sitting casually on the couch reading a book, just shrugged. “He hasn’t come out yet.”

Thor was sitting in the kitchen, hair still wet from his shower, and he was eyeing the ice cream with a smile.

Jane laughed, putting the ice cream on the table and dipping down to give Thor a passionate kiss. As he sat up, she patted the ice cream. “Don’t even think about popping this open until we all get in here.”

Thor’s smile dropped. “Of course not.”

He looked slightly hurt, so Jane assured him, “You can get the bowls down. I’m just going to go grab Loki.”

He brightened then and rose to do just that.

Jane moved out of the kitchen and down the hall now to knock lightly at Loki’s door. “Are you awake?” she questioned softly. 

“Yes, come in,” Loki replied from inside. He smiled when Jane opened up the door and stepped in. The trickster was still lying on the floor, reading. “I need another back rub.”

Jane laughed. “Oh, you do, do you? How about some ice cream instead?” She smiled down at Loki. “If we don’t get in there soon, Thor’s willpower might sway.”

Loki's smile widened at the mentioning of ice cream. He shakily got to his feet, tugging his pants up. "What about both?" He grinned. "Ice cream now and back rub before bed?"

Jane gave him a tired look. "I'm exhausted, Loki, but I'll tell you what, let's just relax a little, get some rest, and I'll give you a back rub in the morning. Sound good?"

Loki stood, twisting the bottom part of his shirt in his hands and contemplating Jane's answer. His face displayed a mixture of annoyance and a pout, but he didn't say anything. Instead, he gave a small nod.

She waved him forward. "Come on, you. I think this little treat will make you feel a little better."

Smiling, Loki walked to the door and followed Jane into the kitchen, where Darcy and Thor were seated around the table, talking and waiting. Loki stopped by his chair, looking at it a moment, frowning. He put a hand behind him, feeling of the tenderness that still lingered in his right butt cheek.

"Jane, I...I need my...pillow," he said shyly, quickly glancing at Darcy and Thor.

Jane said nothing but went to the closet to fetch the pillow for him.

Darcy frowned. "I heard you got jabbed a couple times there. Ouch!"

Loki accepted the pillow, putting it on the seat of his chair and gingerly sitting. He turned to Darcy and gave her a sneer. “I didn’t feel a thing.”

Darcy smirked. "Yeah, I can totally see that."

Jane swatted her arm, and Darcy shrank away with a hiss. "What?"

Jane glared back at her. "Oh, you know what."

Darcy frowned, but she decided to keep further comments to herself.

Thor just snorted, too busy to deter himself from his ice cream.

Loki frowned at Thor. “Don’t you dare say anything.” He turned back to Darcy, looking her up and down. “Okay, yes, it hurt. You mortals have horrible methods to treat your sick and injured. Why does everything painful have to be applied to the rear?” He moved restlessly in his chair. He scooped a spoonful of ice cream into his mouth and enjoyed how good it tasted and felt going down his throat.

Darcy smirked. "Funny, when I had surgery, they just put it in my IV. I wonder why they didn't do that for you? Were you acting hostile?"

“No.” Loki frowned. “The nurses were just evil. The first time they did it I didn’t want them putting the IV on me because of the needle. So that evil nurse said she would give me something to help me sleep through it. I thought it was going to be something to drink, but she stuck me in the rear instead. It doesn’t make sense. Why stick someone in the butt so they won’t have to feel you stick them in the hand?” He turned his frown to Thor. “And he helped to hold me down so she could do it.” Loki wiped a few tears out of his eye with the back of his hand and concentrated on eating the rest of his ice cream.  


Thor sighed. "To the first nurse's credit, the needle they stuck in your hand was much larger. Perhaps she thought the one for your hand would hurt more? As for the other nurse...I don't think she liked you, brother." He smirked at Loki. "Mayhaps in the future, you'll be more mindful of your manners, eh?"

Loki leaned back in his chair, looking to Jane for support. Then he turned to Thor again. “I beg to differ on the hurting more part.” He scowled at Thor’s reminder of Marlene. “She was a devil nurse. Not only did she stick my butt… _again_ …after having her minions hold me down, but she made me drink that awful medicine.”

Jane's eyes went up to the clock. "That reminds me, you need to take your next dose in two hours, Loki. I need to set a time scale, so at least one of us remembers to get you your medicine in the needed intervals specified by the doctor." 

Loki’s mouth dropped open, his eyes looking at the clock, too. He crossed his arms over his chest in a huff. “I’m not going to take it.”

Although Loki was glaring at Jane, it was Thor that addressed him, "You will take it, Loki. If you do not, we will speak in depth on the matter, and you'll find a longer use for that pillow you sit on."

Loki swallowed, slowly turning his gaze to Thor. He blinked and looked to Darcy. Finally, he looked down at the table.

Thor nodded, feeling his point had been made as he returned to eating the last few bites of his ice cream.

Both Darcy and Jane sat in stunned silence for a moment until the silence grew awkward, and Darcy tried to change the subject, "So Thor mentioned watching a movie after we finish our ice cream; any ideas what kind of movie we should watch?"

Loki just shrugged in reply. He really didn't care. He was tired and feeling cranky. He just wanted to curl up somewhere comfortable and safe and go to sleep. He turned a sleepy puppy face to Jane.

Seeing the look in his eyes, Jane rose to feel his forehead to check for a temperature. “You don’t feel warm, but you look awfully tired. If you want, you can go lie down, and I’ll bring your medicine in to you as well as an ice water to swallow it down with.” 

That’s not what Loki wanted. He looked at Jane a few minutes, finally getting up and walking to his room. He really didn’t want Darcy seeing him suffering through taking that vile stuff. He flopped down on the bed and stuck a thumb in his mouth. He couldn’t understand why he wasn’t able to get his way. Jane had always indulged him before.

Jane’s brow furrowed, unsure if Loki was upset by the way he’d left or just feeling ill and therefore less responsive. She was about to go check on him when Thor grabbed her wrist shaking his head no. Jane’s expression changed to confused. “I don’t understand?”

“He needs to know you’re not going to bend to his every whim,” Thor stated solemnly.

She frowned. “He’s sick, Thor; you know, showing him a little compassion when he’s feeling so badly is something that makes him feel better. I’ll just go in to tuck him in, and then we’ll go watch the movie, okay?”

Thor backed off, giving her a nod. He didn’t want to seem like a heel, but Jane did not know his brother like Thor knew Loki.

Jane padded down the hall towards Loki’s room now, bringing extra blankets and knocking lightly at the door.

Loki’s head rose at hearing the knock. Dread hit him, thinking that Jane had brought the medicine. He didn’t want to say anything at first. Then he thought that maybe Jane came to give him that back rub after all.

“Come in,” he called.

Jane entered with a soft smile, holding up the blankets. “I thought you might like a few extra.”

Loki rolled over to look up at her, ignoring the blankets. “Back rub?”

Remembering what Thor had said to her, Jane made herself stand firm as she gently reminded him, “I will tomorrow, Loki. But for tonight, I need some rest and relaxation. Remember, I told you earlier?”

Loki frowned at her. He kicked the bed with his feet several times and turned over to face the other way to stew in his silent tantrum.

Jane sighed but nonetheless draped the blankets over him to make him comfortable. “I’ll be back in after the movie to check on you, Loki.” She leaned in and petted his hair gently before striding out of his room and gently closing his door, leaving it cracked so that she could hear him call out to her if he needed her.

It was at least eleven minutes after Jane left when Loki got up off the bed. With a blanket wrapped around him, he walked to the door. He could hear the movie in the living room and the sounds of Jane, Darcy, and Thor talking and laughing. Even though he was sleepy, he didn’t want to be alone, so he silently walked out into the hallway and inched into the living room. He saw Jane and Thor sitting together on the couch and an empty place on Jane’s left. He hesitated in the doorway, afraid Jane would get mad at him for not being in bed. Finally, he moved, quickly walking over to the couch to curl up beside her before she realized what was happening.

She didn’t say anything, only smiling down at him and drawing him to lay his head in her lap and an arm over his shoulder, so that they could all watch the movie together while she caressed his hair behind his ear.

Loki smiled at feeling Jane’s touch and snuggled his face into her lap, sighing contentedly. He put a thumb in his mouth, not really caring anymore if everyone saw him. He got comfortable and watched as much of the movie as he could until his eyes began to droop. He fell asleep halfway through.

Loki remained asleep even as Thor had gently scooped him up into his arms and gently brought him back to his bed, and it wasn’t until the clock timer chimed Loki needed his next bottle of medicine was he disturbed from his slumber.

Jane brought a tall glass of ice water as promised and shook Loki gently now to rouse him.

Loki mumbled, his eyes cracking open to sleepily peer up at Jane. He smiled until he saw the bottle of medicine in her hand. Quickly, he rolled over to turn his back toward her, pulling the blanket over his head.

“Loki? It’s time, sweetie. I know you’re avoiding me, but you need to roll back over and take your medicine now,” Jane coaxed.

Loki let out a fake snore.

Jane chuckled. “Nice try, but a thespian you are not.”

Loki sighed and rolled over on his back, his right arm sprawled out toward Jane. But he made no effort to do anything else as he looked up at her with pitiful eyes.

She looked at him almost mournfully. “I’m sorry, you know. I wish you didn’t have to take it either. Just think of nurse Marlene and how much you don’t want to go back to see her.” She smiled lightly, trying to bring a smile to the pout that had dominated his face now.

Loki cringed at hearing the nurse’s name. Even though he was home now, he could still hear her cart. He thought a moment, then turned over to look at Jane again. Despite the bottle of doom in her hand, Loki managed a slight smile when he saw Jane’s smile. He lifted his hand toward her.

She rose from sitting on the bed to hand him the bottle and give him a kiss on the forehead. “Go ahead and take that and try to get some more sleep. I’ll bring you the next bottle in four hours’ time.” She pointed to the nightstand. “There’s a glass of ice water for you, and you can just leave the empty bottle here on the dresser, and I’ll pick it up when I come back alright?”

In reply, Loki threw the bottle down on the bed, pouting.

“You better drink that, Loki! I know you don’t want to go back to the hospital where all those awful needles live!” Jane scolded him flatly.

At the mention of ‘needles’, Loki looked up at Jane, quite startled. His face scrunched up at the remembered pain and he shook his head, whimpering. “Noooo. No more shots,” he sniveled.

She nodded. “Yes, drink your medicine, so you won’t have to endure any more shots.” She stated it as though it were a simple cause and effect in hopes Loki would also take the cue she was throwing out to take his medicine without further argument.

Loki sat up, grabbing the bottle and quickly removing the cap. Pinching his nose closed, he tipped the bottle up and downed the entire thing. He stuck his tongue out and gagged, reaching for the glass of water. Once he had downed the water, he handed both out to Jane, his brow still crinkled in obvious disgust over the aftertaste of the medicine.

"I'm hungry," he said softly. "I haven't had much to eat since we left the campsite."

Jane smiled proudly at him. “Thank you, Loki. I’ll take these back to the kitchen and bring you a quick snack okay?” She took the empty bottle and glass with her as she padded back down the hall and into the kitchen. He could hear her rummaging in the freezer and putting something frozen onto a plate followed by the opening and closing of the microwave. A few minutes later it beeped, and Jane came back holding a plate with mini pizzas. “Now they need to cool for a couple minutes, but this should settle your stomach, so you can get back to sleep. Normally I wouldn’t let you eat in bed, but since you’re sick and you took your medicine so well, we’ll let it slide this once.” She gave him a winning smile.

Loki looked at the snack she brought him and smiled up at Jane. “Thank you,” he replied. Jane gave him one more kiss and left the room. Loki watched her leave. And after waiting several minutes for the food to cool, he eagerly dug into it. Despite the lingering taste of the medicine in his mouth, he was hungrier than he thought. When he had devoured every last bite, he put the plate on the night table, feeling a lot better. He then got up to wash his hands, use the bathroom, and brush his teeth before coming back to climb into bed. He wrapped himself up in the blankets and snuggled down into the pillows, grateful to be in a bed that wasn’t a hospital bed. And he was also grateful for being able to go to sleep on his own without someone jabbing a needle into his rear to coax him into it. He shuddered at remembering the shots. He moved his hand to rub at the area of his bottom where the needles had been jabbed and winced. Sighing, he closed his eyes and fell into a deep sleep.

Jane went to lie down herself, setting her alarm for Loki’s next medicine taking. Thor had already laid down and welcomed her into his arms to which she smiled and climbed into welcomingly. The alarm then rang four hours later, and Jane groaned not wanting to get out of bed, but she managed to stumble out and bumble down the hall into the kitchen to retrieve Loki’s medicine. She didn’t bother knocking since Loki knew she was coming, only giving a small knock as she opened the door for courtesy’s sake. “Loki,” she whispered, “Wake up, honey.”

“Not again,” Loki whined in a sleepy voice. He had been sleeping so well, too. He put his head under his pillow, not wanting to spoil his sleep with another dose of that horrid stuff.

Jane’s voice sounded hoarse from waking and her throat being dry. “I know, Loki, but we got to do this every four hours for two days, so let’s get this over with.” Jane couldn’t help the yawn that escaped as she spoke that last bit.

"No!" he snapped, bringing his head out from under the pillow. “I just want to sleep,” he whined, kicking the mattress with his feet.

“So do I, Loki, now the sooner you take your medicine the sooner both of us can get back to sleep. I’m getting tired of this argument with you; you need to take your medicine, and you need to take it now!” Jane’s voice stayed level throughout until she got to that last now. Her patience was wearing thin with Loki’s stubbornness, and if he didn’t do as she said so help her, he was going to wish he had!

"No!" Loki repeated irritably. He shoved the bottle and Jane’s hand away from him then turned and buried his face under his pillow again.

Without saying a word, Jane ripped the blankets down to show Loki’s rear, and sitting next to his side with her back facing him, she scooped his hip in one hand pulling it taut against her and tore down his loose pajama bottoms with the other. Quickly she planted five hard swats to his backside before finally speaking, “You will pick up that bottle right now, Loki, or so help me, I’m going to give you another five swats. Go on now! Pick it up!” Her hand hovered now over his squirming backside as she looked over her shoulder at him.

Everything happened so fast. Loki felt the covers being pulled off him and Jane grabbing onto him. By this time he had quickly pulled his head out from under the pillow, struggling to understand, seeing that he was still half asleep. It wasn’t until he felt the cool breeze over his bottom and Jane’s palm making quick contact with his butt cheeks that he fully understood what was happening. His mouth dropped open in shock and he squeezed his eyes closed at the brief stinging swats.

“OW!” he cried out, squirming in Jane's hold. "No, no, no!" What had he done? He hadn't meant to push Jane this far. He was just so frustrated with everything and tired! At hearing her command, he whimpered, straining to look over his shoulder at her and the hand she held over his butt, promising more pain if he didn't comply. "Okay! Okay, okay," he sniveled out. He quickly grabbed up the bottle. "Just don't spank me anymore, please." He twisted the cap open, pinched his nose closed, and drank it down, choking, coughing, and spluttering when he let go of his nose. He grimaced. No matter how many times he'd already drank the stuff, the taste just kept getting worse. He looked back over at Jane, giving her sad, watery puppy eyes. "There, I drank it. Just don't spank me. I'm sorry." He sniffed back a few tears.

She nodded her approval, making quick work to right his pajama bottoms, standing and recovering him in his blankets as she spoke softly, “I’m sorry I had to do that to you, Loki. You can be so difficult sometimes, but I thought it better if it were me than calling your brother in here to get you to take your medicine. If you keep giving me trouble, I might have to ask him to help me. You’re not going to make me have to do that are you?” she asked sadly.

Loki lay with his face partly buried in his pillow, staring up at Jane with moist eyes, tears streaking his cheeks. One hand was busy rubbing out the fresh sting in his backside. When Jane finished speaking, he thought over her words a moment. Then he shook his head no in reply to her question.

"Please don't call Thor," he finally said, sniffling. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you spank me. I'm just tired and frustrated and unhappy." More tears spilled out of his eyes as he spoke. He hated being spanked, but if anyone was going to spank him he'd rather it be Jane. At one time, he would have blushed to think of Jane doing such an action to him, but he quickly found that he'd rather her do it since she wasn't as hard as Thor was. Plus she gave the best aftercare.

Loki stretched his arms out to her for a hug.

Jane wore a guilty expression hating to bring Loki to this point as she dropped to sit down next to him and draw him into a hug. "I don't like doing that to you either, Loki, but I can't abide you not taking your medicine. For your health's sake, I'm going to make sure you do because I want you to feel better. You understand that don't you?"

She wanted him to feel better. The words touched Loki in a way that Jane didn't know. He closed his eyes and soaked up the hug.

"I-I think so." He sniffed. "You love me enough to want to see me get better?"

She held him tightly as she spoke softly in his ear, "Yes. And you're not going to get better unless you take that awful medicine. Just think of it this way, you've got nine bottles left, and every time you take one, you'll be that much closer to being done with them for good."

Loki frowned at the mentioning of taking the medicine, but then he relaxed in the embrace. He nuzzled his face around Jane’s neck, sleep beginning to overtake him again. He thought on what Jane had said about not liking to spank him. He cracked an eye open, a hint of a smirk tugging at his mouth. “Surely there’s a…less painful…method to convince me.” He moved his hand around to give his backside a rub. “You almost hit the spot where they gave me those awful shots. It still hurts there.” He slid his hand down into his pants to feel of the injection sites and winced.

She giggled. "Not from what you have shown me this far, you little scamp. But, maybe you can prove me wrong. We'll see."

Loki partly frowned at her answer, but her hand ruffling his hair caused him to smile. “I can’t guarantee you that I’ll be good. I _am_ a trickster, after all,” he said playfully.

She pulled arm’s length away from him, giving him a heartfelt smile. “That you are; just remember harmless tricks are okay in moderation, but always weigh the choices you make and how they affect everyone around you including yourself, and you should be golden.”

Loki frowned, weighing what she told him. Then he smiled at her. He raised a hand to play with her hair. “It's hard to do, especially when everything that's fun is considered bad or wrong by everyone else."

She rolled her eyes playfully. “Well, I expect you to just do your best then.” She couldn’t help laughing as she gave him a quick tickle to his sides since he was obviously feeling spirited.

Loki squirmed and giggled, smiling widely and his eyes sparkling. He pushed Jane's hand away, even though he greatly enjoyed the treatment. He moved to lie down, putting his head on her lap. He put his thumb in his mouth and sleepily looked up at her.

“I hope I don’t ever get sick again,” he mumbled around the thumb in his mouth.

She smiled down at him, playing in his hair. “I hope not either. Come on,” She gently guided him back to his pillow as she shrouded him in his blankets once more, “It’s time to get some more rest for both of us. Sleep well, Loki.” She patted his head once more before turning to leave as quietly as she’d come.

Loki snuggled back into his pillow, wishing Jane didn’t have to leave. He thought over everything she’d said to him, focusing heavily on the parts where she had said that she loved him and wanted him to get well again. He smiled, nuzzling his pillow. Then he frowned. She had spanked him to get him to take the medicine because she loved and cared for him and wanted him to get better. His obstinate trickster mind had a hard time swallowing that part. He kept on frowning when he realized that it wasn’t going to be long before she’d be waking him up again for another dose of that vile medicine. He sighed. Not able to keep his eyes open any longer, he closed them and drifted back into a peaceful sleep.


	24. Painting

Jane gave Loki an extra hour of sleep before she disturbed him again with the next bottle of medicine. “Wakey, wakey, Loki!” She’d made breakfast for everyone, so once this little mess was concluded, she was sure Loki would be happy to hear he’d have something to chase the bitter aftertaste.

Loki murmured in his sleep, lifting a fist to rub at his eyes. He curled up again, hugging the corner of one of the blankets close to his face.

“I let you sleep in, but you’re going to have to get up and take your medicine now. Don’t take too long or your plate of bacon with extra slices of bacon and eggs might get cold.” She smiled cheekily, waiting for the news she’d shared to really sink in.

Loki’s eyes opened to look up at her. He rubbed his nose, blinking away the sleep in his eyes.

She smiled widely at him taking a seat next to him once he’d sat up and held out the bottle of liquid for him to take.

Loki sighed, his eyes falling down to the bottle. He looked at Jane, not in the least bit amused. A lock of his hair slowly fell down in front of his face.

She absently pulled it behind his ear as she spoke softly. “Come on, Loki, get it over with, and then you can drown the taste out with your favorite, some bacon slices, eh?”

“Can I eat first?” he said innocently, wanting to stall. He knew, though, that taking the medicine after eating would make him want to vomit.

“It’s up to you, but which taste would you rather be left with? And if you throw up your breakfast after drinking it, you’re going to be a lot more angry with yourself,” she mused.

Sighing, Loki took the bottle from Jane and drank it, going through the now normal choking and gagging afterward. 

“It gets worse each time,” he got out between a choke, feeling like he might be sick. “Why don’t they make it taste better?”

Jane giggled. “I think you’re working yourself up, but it’s over for at least another four hours, eh? Come on, come enjoy your breakfast, then you can get some more rest while I run to the store right quick. I’ve got some fun planned for the two of us, just you wait and see.” She gave him a winning smile feeling she knew him well enough to surprise him.

Loki perked up, curious now. The thought of spending time with Jane was enough to make him smile, but the promise of a surprise made it even more exciting. Then he remembered bacon and suddenly he felt hungry, despite the vile liquid he’d just drunk. He grinned at Jane as he kicked off the covers. 

“And you promised to give me a back rub,” he reminded her.

She rolled her eyes, hopping off the bed to follow him out to the kitchen as she chuckled. “You and your back rubs!”

Thor and Darcy were already finished with their breakfast and cleaning up their dishes when Jane and Loki finally emerged.

“I totally swiped some of your bacon,” Darcy teased Loki as he came to have a seat. His pillow was already in place for him.

Loki made a face at her. “Ha ha, very funny. You’re going to have to do better than that if you want to trick me.” He tugged his pants up and gently sat down. “I was teasing and pulling pranks like that when I was three.” He looked his plate over once and immediately dug into the delicious strips of meat, welcoming the taste as it helped to take out the foul aftertaste of the medicine.

Darcy only gave him a winning smile. “How do you know I didn’t eat any of them? You weren’t here, so you’ll never know will you?”

Jane sat next to Loki now, digging into her own breakfast; and Thor, although finished, sat down at the table with them to give company while they ate.

Loki looked over at Darcy while he chewed. “I’m a trickster, remember? I’ve been at it longer than you have. I can tell when you’re teasing. And you’re teasing.” He went back to eating, looking from Thor to Jane. Suddenly he grew quiet. “Jane,” he said, at last, fingering a slice of bacon, “do you think I’ll ever see Nurse Sampson again? I mean, without going to the hospital. Naturally, I don’t ever want to go to that place again.” He didn’t know why he was suddenly thinking of the nurse. Maybe it was from seeing Jane and Thor together. And it wasn’t until after he asked the question that he realized he’d said it aloud, in front of Darcy. His eyes quickly looked over at the girl. Great, he’d just opened up the door for more teasing material.

Darcy surprised him though only asking inquisitively, “Who’s nurse Sampson?”

Jane answered, “She was a sweet girl Loki met at the hospital that doted on him, so it’s no wonder he adored her.” It was Jane’s turn to lightly tease Loki now.

Loki’s cheeks flushed as he stuck another piece of bacon in his mouth. “The only nurse that wasn’t evil,” he added. "I just wish I had known about her flirting with me before I had to leave so we could have talked longer."

“Flirting! Oh man, I wish I had seen that!” Darcy giggled like an excited school girl now at the prospect.

Both Jane and Thor smiled at Darcy’s enthusiasm before sharing a loving look between each other.

Loki lifted an eyebrow, smirking amusingly. Since Darcy now knew, he might as well go all the way, he thought, mostly because he wanted to see the girl's reaction. He cleared his throat. "Nurse Sampson isn't the only one that can flirt. It just so happens that I turned her on with my charm before we left," he said proudly. "And she thoroughly enjoyed it, I might add."

Darcy rolled her eyes. "Oh, man! It's getting thick in here!" She laughed. "I didn't know that you were such a Casanova there, Loki!"

Jane nodded. "She did seem to really like him. It's his winning smile."

Thor chuckled. "Loki can be charming when he wishes."

Loki was grinning from ear to ear as he looked at each person, in turn, eventually turning his grin to Jane, nudging her arm. "Are you sure? I was thinking it was how those tight jeans of mine brought out the shapely curves of my butt," he said playfully.

Darcy shook her head, barely containing, "No, you're not conceited at all!"

Thor just groaned, feeling embarrassed by the conversation while Jane just smiled at her and the scene.

“What, brother?” Loki turned to Thor, amusement clearly displayed on his face when he saw that his brother was squirming. “I can’t help it if those jeans are tight. Besides, I think that nurse liked what she saw.” He smiled smugly, waggling his eyebrows. He turned back to the girls, obviously stirred up now by the whole conversation. “She kept calling me a cutie.” He beamed, turning his attention back to his plate and bacon.

Jane lifted up two fingers to indicate to Darcy it was a record two times she'd called him that all the while trying to hold back side-splitting laughter.

Darcy was still laughing and only laughed more in recognition of what Jane was saying.

Thor chuckled as well, enjoying the mood of the table.

Loki, still grinning, leaned over, slowly putting his face next to Jane’s, trying to push her over the edge where she’d laugh.

She did laugh now as she laid her hand lightly on his face. "You are such a ham," she chortled.

“You know you love it,” Loki whispered to her, giving a quick, playful wink. He continued to smile at Jane as he finished up his breakfast and pushed his plate to the side.

Jane continued to chuckle. “I can tell you’re definitely feeling better by the level of playfulness you have.”

Loki continued to smile at her, playfully sliding down his chair. Suddenly a twinge of pain hit, causing him to yelp and sit straight up. His cheeks flushed when he looked at the faces around the table. “Some parts of me are feeling better, anyway.”

Thor remarked, his brow drawing down in slight concern, “They must have really jabbed you that you still hurt after a good sleep like this.” Of course, Thor hadn’t known he’d also had a spanking four hours earlier.

“They gave me two practically in the same spot. What can you expect?” Loki frowned, not bothering to add that Jane had given him a few swats for refusing to take his medicine. Loki looked at Jane. “I…uh…think I’m going to go take a shower.” He turned to Thor again, his smile returning. “Jane and I are going to spend some time together this afternoon. She has something special in mind.”

Jane nodded. “That I do. It’s a surprise. Darcy, do you want to head to town with me to get the supplies I need?”

Darcy nodded her head yes. “Why not? You know I love shopping, after all.”

Thor seemed curious, asking inquisitively, “What have you got up your sleeve there, Jane Foster?”

Jane laughed. “I’m not telling! You’ll just have to see when I get back. It’s a little something to help Loki on his road to recovery.”

Thor smiled, glancing over to Loki. “Let’s hope he appreciates it, eh?”

Loki smiled. “I’m sure I will. Just spending time with Jane will make me happy.” He was relieved that Thor’s attention was taken off the subject of his sore rear. He really didn’t want to explain the small spanking Jane had given him. "Well, I'm going to go shower," said Loki, getting up from his chair.

Thor was about to ask to look at the puncture wounds for Loki, but seeing as he seemed fine enough let it go as he nodded at Loki, watching him go.

Jane and Darcy headed out and returned a little over an hour later. Jane was carrying two bags worth of items as she came in the door, the bags were labeled Office Plus and Hobbies R’ Us.

Loki was still in his room when Jane and Darcy returned. He heard when they came through the front door but didn’t bother to get up from where he lay on the floor, reading. He wanted to finish the chapter he was currently reading first.

Jane got Darcy to assist her as they pulled out the supplies and set them up on the kitchen table. When Loki did finally come out of his room, he would be surprised to see the myriad of paints and a place for him and Jane already set up to work.

Loki’s curiosity finally got the best of him when he heard the bustling about in the kitchen. Instead of finishing the chapter like he had planned, he closed the book and set it aside. He got to his feet and walked out of the room and down the hallway and finally into the kitchen. He shyly approached Jane, glancing at the table and everything spread out on it.

Hearing Loki come down the hall, Jane had hurried to get the last few items in place before he rounded the corner. She smiled widely. “Surprise!” She clasped her hands nervously, hoping that her surprise didn’t tread too dangerously close on the memory of his mother. She wanted to make Loki happy, but she didn’t want to make Loki mournful if the surprise was upsetting rather than uplifting. Jane hadn’t really considered it until now when she saw him observing what she brought for him, and she hoped it would be the latter over the former.

After Loki finished appraising everything laid out before him, he turned a smile to Jane. “For me?” he finally said.

She let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding as she nodded and questioned, “Do you like it?”

Loki nodded, turning back to the painting supplies. “It’s been a long time.” He sat down in his chair, picking up a pack of brushes. He turned around to look at Jane, his eyes sparkling with excitement. “What are you going to paint?”

She blushed. “I…I don’t really know, to be honest; I’m not much of an artist. I might just try for a scenery piece.”

Darcy buzzed around, curiously wanting to watch the two maybe even join in, but she didn’t want to interrupt.

Still smiling, Loki went right to work opening up brushes and looking over tubes of paint and getting his work area set up. It really had been a long time, he thought—too long. When he got things situated, he sat a moment and stared at the blank canvas before him, absently running a hand over it and thinking back when he and Frigga used to paint together. He turned to look at Jane and smiled. Then he turned back to the canvas. Picking up a paint brush and a couple of tubes of paint, he began mixing colors to get the desired color he needed. Once he had acquired it, he silently went to work painting, completely engrossed in his work. His hand moved fluidly over the canvas, his picture eventually taking the form of some kind of strange animal or beast.

Jane worked diligently to paint something of note, but she had no idea how to blend the colors properly, so by the time she’d finished it, she had to laugh and shake her head. “Oh, gosh, kindergarteners have painted better mountains and trees than these.”

Darcy moved to glance over at her work trying not to be mean as she squinted at it, backed away, and bobbed her head in indecision. “Well…I would say it’s better than a kindergartener’s work…we all have to start somewhere, right?”

Loki looked over at Jane’s canvas and smiled. “Darcy’s right,” he said. “We all have to start somewhere.” He nodded at her picture. “It looks good to me.” As Loki continued to paint in more details on his picture, the creature on the canvas started looking more like an olive green dragon having moose antlers and horrible teeth.

Both women had come to watch him paint now silently, like Loki’s personal audience. Even Thor had come by to appraise his work. “Wonderful, Loki! You’ve always had such artistic talent!”

Loki looked up at Thor, a smile forming on his lips at the praise. He silently turned to Jane, eager to hear what she thought since it was the first time she had seen him paint.

“He really is fantastic!” Jane nodded in agreement, marveling at his mastery.

Even Darcy felt the need to add to the praise. “Yeah, Loki, your work is really amazing! And the subject matter is pretty dang cool as well. Is that something you’d see in Asgard?”

Loki beamed at all of the praise everyone was giving him as he continued painting. Finally, he turned to Darcy. "Yes. It's a Bilgesnipe. You don't have them here in Midgard?"

Darcy shook her head. “Uh…no. That thing looks scary as all get out!”

Thor laughed. “They can be if you aren’t too careful with them.”

Jane mused, “It really is beautiful, Loki; you should paint a lot of the creatures and sights from Asgard. I’m sure you’d do them justice, and it’d be a great way to share your realm with us.”

Loki smiled at Jane and her praise and compliments, feeling like he had finally done something right after all of the mess he had been through. He then nodded. "I think I can do that." Loki put his current picture aside to let it dry and picked up a blank canvas. He washed his brush and set it to the side, too, and chose a clean one. "Although, it would be nice if you could visit and see everything for yourself," he said as he prepared things for a new painting. He slowly turned a hopeful look up to Thor. He had a feeling that it wouldn't be long before they would be heading back to Asgard, and he wasn't looking forward to it. His heart ached to think of leaving Jane behind. She made him feel like he had a family again. And more importantly, she made him feel wanted and accepted like he was truly somebody like Frigga used to make him feel.

Thor's eyes reflected warmth as he spoke softly, "I will do my best to convince Father, Loki. Father might not be as unyielding as you might believe."

Jane added in a placating manner, "If he doesn't, there's always stuff we can find to do when you guys come to visit."

Loki turned to look at Jane, not knowing what to say. He didn’t want to simply visit. But he thought he’d better not say anything. Not yet, anyway. Maybe if he asked Thor nicely later on when it came time for them to leave, his brother would let him stay on Midgard with Jane. He ran his fingers over the canvas in front of him. Finally, he picked up his paint brush again and started painting.

“I hope it doesn’t turn out like this visit,” said Loki at last, turning to look at Jane again.

“Oh? Well, yeah, the camping trip was a bit of a mess with you getting sick like this.” Jane frowned.

“Some parts of the visit were good,” he admitted. “But I don’t wish to get sick and visit your hospital again.”

Darcy snorted. “No one really wants to visit a hospital I would hope!”

Jane nodded in agreement. “Yeah, it’s not a very fun place to be. You don’t have anything like a hospital for your sick in Asgard?”

“We have a healing room, which is the closest thing to your hospital.” Loki looked at Jane. “But we don’t cause our sick pain like you do here. We use magic, remember? A simple healing spell and you are as good as new. There are spells for different injuries. There are also healing stones, too, which we keep on us in case we are stuck and can't get to a healing room. But sometimes even magic cannot save." Loki's thoughts momentarily drifted to Frigga. "And it’s like I told you on our camping trip. We don’t have a great many illnesses in Asgard. What few we do have are different than the ones you have here on Midgard. And it's rare that we get sick with them. The most sickness you would get in Asgard is a battle wound or a burn.” He glanced at Thor and smirked. “As Thor already knows.” He turned back to Jane. “But, as I said before, I’m Jotun, so I’m naturally immune to Midgard illnesses. Or I was before Odin took my power away.” He sighed sadly. “I guess there’s one good thing about being a Frost Giant.”

“Hmm…does that mean he’s turned you fully human?” Jane queried, finding the fact interesting and wondering if that also meant Odin had taken Loki’s Frost Giant heritage from him as well.

“I-I don’t know,” said Loki, looking a bit concerned. “Since I got sick, then…I suppose so.” Revulsion flared up in him. “It would be just like Odin to do so since he wishes me to suffer,” he said disgustedly.

Darcy frowned. “Hey! Human over here, remember?”

Jane laughed. “I kind of have to agree with Darcy. We’re not that bad I hope, Loki.”

“I meant no offense.” Loki smirked. He reached over and dabbed a dot of paint on the tip of Jane's nose. “You two are the only exceptions.” He raised an eyebrow. “And Nurse Sampson,” he added as an afterthought. “But you have to understand that it’s…different with me. I’ve never been human before. I went from practically immortal and immune to weak human. You can understand, I hope. To be stripped of everything is…a bit overwhelming, especially since I've always depended heavily on my magic.”

Jane ducked her head, wiping at her nose with a giggle. “I get it, and being taken out of your element can be quite distressing. When you go back to Asgard will Odin be restoring your powers then?”

Thor looked dismayed. “Father will not reverse the effect until he feels Loki has proven to him that he has earned his Asgardian status back. That can be tricky as Father is quite hard to please.”

Jane’s smile faltered. “Oh. I’m sorry, Loki.” She reached out and touched his hand gently in sympathy. 

Loki hung his head, looking at Jane’s hand and putting his paintbrush down. He hadn’t wanted to be reminded of his status.

“Jane, from Odin’s point of view, I’ve been a naughty boy. All of this—my powers being taken away—is part of my punishment,” he said bitterly. “It’s either this or execution or rotting in a prison cell for all eternity. Odin took my powers away to weaken me so I can’t cause any more destruction, and so…” He glanced up at Thor, “I’ll be easier to handle. I guess he made me fully mortal so that I can see how life is like from a different perspective.”

Thor nodded gravely. “I can say it was quite a wake-up call to endure for me, so I can understand how it must feel for you, Loki. At least Father did not just cast him out without his family.” Thor smiled now glad that he could at least be there for Loki to face the trials Odin had forced on him unlike he had been cast out all alone.

“I still don’t understand why you still insist on calling me your brother after everything I’ve done. And the fact that I'm...adopted." Loki said the last word like it was as vile as the medicine he was taking.

Thor looked as though he’d been slapped in the face by Loki, and his eyes reflected hurt. “I 'am’ your brother, Loki. Does it matter who your real parents were? You and I have never known such differences until recently, but for me, it changes nothing about the way I feel about you.”

Loki stared up at Thor, tears clearly visible in his eyes. His old self wanted to rise again, and he knew he teetered on the edge of an outburst that would eventually lead to ugly consequences. He’d had the same argument with Thor so many times, and every time Thor always insisted he was indeed his brother, even after he stressed the point that he was Jotun. The argument was fast growing old. He bit his lip, trying to hold back a sob. Thor was the only family he had currently—or rather, the only family that cared enough about him to stay by his side, even after he had been a jerk and a brat about so many things. He didn’t want to be angry at him. He really didn’t. He really did love his brother. That was one thing he could speak truth about.

“I’m sorry,” he faintly got out, not wanting a fun afternoon turning emotional. “I-I’m still your baby brother. I always have been.”

Thor smiled at Loki’s response, stepping forward to pull Loki into a hug. “Good to hear it, brother.”

Jane and Darcy looked at each other and shared a smile.

Loki found his arms wrapping around Thor’s neck to return the hug. “I don’t know how you ever put up with me,” he said, his voice muffled.

Thor squeezed him a little harder. “I think we manage just fine. Besides, I know you’ve always had a harder time fitting in, and I try to make allowances for the pain you feel. I will always be here for you, Loki.”

Loki smiled and closed his eyes and melted into the hug until Thor’s grip on him became unbearable. “Thor…mortal, remember?” he gasped out.

Thor immediately let go, looking apologetic. “Oh! Sorry, Loki!”

Seeing Loki was fine, both Darcy and Jane laughed, obviously enjoying the moment the two were sharing.

Loki pulled away and turned to silently focus his attention back on his painting. He picked up the paintbrush again and began working at the blue blob on the small canvas in front of him until it began taking the shape of a man's face.

Jane moved up beside Loki, watching as he continued to paint the features of the face he was working on. “Who is that, Loki?"

"The other part of me," he simply whispered.

When Loki had taken the brush away from the canvas, Jane reached out to gently wrap her arms around his waist and pulled him into a light embrace. She only did so for a short moment not wishing to disturb his progress as she moved up behind him to continue watching him paint. “That shade of blue? Is that what your true skin tone is?”

Loki swallowed and hesitated, his hand gripping the brush tighter. Wonder if Jane didn’t want to have anything to do with him after he painted this horrific picture of the other side of himself?—that frosty, blue, red-eyed demon that he had feared so much as a child before finding out he was one of them.

“Yes,” he finally replied in a soft voice. He picked up a smaller tipped brush and chose a lighter shade of blue and began painting strange lines and markings on the face, making it look almost tribal. When he was done painting this part, he moved on to painting long black strands of hair like his own and then added blood red eyes. The picture was crude and lacked a lot of details, but he could always fill those in later. Right now he just had to get the rough idea out. But as he sat there and stared down at it, he suddenly lost all desire to even finish it. It was so horrid. He reached over and picked up a rag and covered the canvas, not wanting to see it anymore. He was sure Jane and the others didn’t want to see it either.

Jane seemed confused, lightly grasping Loki’s elbow. “Loki? What’s the matter? Don’t you want to finish your artwork? I’d like to see this other half of you through your eyes.”

Thor grimaced, seeing the conflict on Loki’s face. “You have no reason to feel shame, Loki. What was feared of the Jotun is not their skin tones or any of their physicality over their lack of civility. You were not raised Jotun, and you are not Jotun in the ways that matter most to me. The rest is just a casing, Loki; can’t you see you are so much more than this?”

Darcy had stepped to the side just watching on. She didn’t really know how to react, and so, she found it was best to just observe.

Loki turned to look at Thor, contemplating his words. Finally, he sighed and took the rag off the painting and started working on it again. His hand worked fairly fast in filling in details, highlights, and shading. Within minutes, he had produced a small portrait of his Frost Giant form. It still lacked some details in areas, but he had put enough finishing touches on it to give everyone a better idea of what that side of him looked like. For the most part, his portrait self looked like he did currently. The only differences were that his skin was blue and he had red eyes. Odd markings and lines were etched into his facial features like tattoos. He sat and stared at it for some time, before sliding it across the table to rest in front of Jane.

Jane studied the picture, taking in the details and the colors before looking back up at Loki with a small smile. “This is beautiful, Loki. Was this visage what you were afraid to show me? I think you look handsome either way.” Her smile widened to give him reassurance.

Darcy had crept over to look at the painting now. “Dude! Those red eyes are dope!” She smiled widely, giving Loki a thumbs up. “You really are a great artist, Loki.”

Thor now laid a hand on his shoulder speaking softly in his ear, “You see, brother; those that love you see no difference in you whether you are as you are now or sporting blue skin and red eyes.”

“Really?” Loki looked at Jane, studying her face curiously. “You…you aren’t disturbed by this?” He pointed at the picture. Hearing Thor's words, he turned to look at his brother, and then to Darcy. “You…really don’t see me as a monster?”

Jane gave Loki a sympathetic look. “Of course not. You already told me about your heritage before, now I have a picture to go with your descriptions.” She smiled up at him again a little wider, hoping her words comforted him.

Thor squeezed his shoulder lovingly. “I keep telling you this, Loki, but yet you refuse to believe me.”

Darcy smirked. “Well, when you threw my phone in the ice chest, I can’t lie; I thought you were a bit of a monster then…I mean who does that to a girl?” She chuckled now, reaching out to gently pinch his arm.

“Ow,” said Loki, rubbing the area Darcy had pinched. But instead of getting angry at the girl, he smiled. He reached out and wrapped an arm around Jane and hugged her close. Then he turned to Darcy, looking her over as if trying to decide whether or not he wanted her that close to him. Finally, he smiled and reached out to take her in his other arm, pulling her in close to hug her along with Jane, sneakily giving her a light pinch to her arm in return.

Darcy giggled at the pinch, and both women squeezed him tightly while Thor looked on with approval.

When the three released, Jane looked up, noting the time with a grimace. “It’s been four hours…” She didn’t expound upon what that meant, quite sure Loki already knew.

Loki couldn’t help the whine that escaped his mouth, his face turning into a frowning pout. What a way to ruin the moment, he thought.

“I’d like to pour every one of those bottles down the sink,” he grumbled, folding his arms over his chest.

Thor folded his own arms in response, giving Loki a firm glare. “You’d better not.”

Jane patted Thor’s arm lightly. “Oh, lighten up, Thor. Loki is going to do no such thing. Tell him, Loki.” She shifted her gaze to Loki with a quirky smile knowing the man was just venting.

Loki shifted his eyes to look at Jane, then continued staring forward, not saying a word. Actually, it wasn't such a bad idea now that he thought of it. He could easily do it at night when everyone was sleeping.

"Loki?" Jane queried, waiting for him to assuage Thor's fears.

"Yes?" he finally answered as he casually kicked at the chair leg across from him.

“Let your brother know you’re just voicing your want to avoid taking your medicine and that you’re not really serious.” As if an afterthought, Jane paused a moment and announced, “I’m going to go get you your medicine now.”

Thor still scrutinized Loki now raising an eyebrow at him awaiting his assurance that he actually truly had no plans of dumping the bottles out.

At hearing Jane’s last words, Loki’s face scrunched up in disgust like he was in pain. Then he turned and slowly looked up at Thor’s withering gaze.

“And what if I’m not?” Loki said with a huff. He knew what the answer would be, but he still felt a need to voice himself.

Thor didn't like the tone of Loki's response. Deciding to nip it in the bud, he grabbed Loki's bicep, pulled him out of his chair, spun him around, and gave him three hardy swats. "Need I say more?" Thor stated flatly.

Darcy's eyes went wide, and she backed away, feeling embarrassed for Loki, but she said nothing.

Jane had had her back turned, so it wasn't until she heard the swats did she realize what had happened. She gasped, "What's going on?"

Thor stated simply, "He's testing my resolve, and I'm showing him I'll stand firm."

Loki staggered away from Thor, completely shocked. He had expected a warning, sure, but not an actual demonstration. He put his hands behind him to rub out the burning sting, which was far more severe than when Jane had given him swats the previous night. His cheeks flushed as he looked between Darcy and Jane. He turned back to Thor.

“I didn’t do anything! I was just kidding, Thor! I wasn’t going to pour it down the sink!” Loki whimpered, tears appearing in his eyes. He gave Thor one last hard glare and took off running toward his bedroom, slamming the door behind him. Once inside, he flung himself across his bed and let his tears flow out. He rose up and pulled his pants down enough to look at the redness that had already appeared on his butt cheeks. A choking sob caught in his throat. He hadn't done anything to deserve that. He had just been kidding.

Both women were now glaring at Thor.

"I thought he was being argumentative?" Thor frowned, feeling like a heel now.

Jane just shook her head in disapproval disappearing down the hall towards Loki's room. She knocked lightly. "Loki? Can I come in?"

At hearing the knock, Loki quickly pulled his pants back up and lay down on his stomach. “Come in,” he said in between sniffles.

Jane opened the door carefully as she made her way over to him. She sat gently beside him laying the medicine bottle down on the dresser and beginning to rub small circles on his lower back. "Oh, Loki. Thor didn't realize you were joking. I'm sorry."

Loki watched Jane set the bottle of medicine down, but he was too distraught to even care. “He needs to learn. Maybe my tone of voice was a bit obstinate, but he didn’t have to go and actually spank me,” Loki sobbed out. “A scolding and a warning would have sufficed because I was only kidding. As much as I would love to pour every bottle of that wretched medicine down the sink, I would never do it, because…” He swallowed, looking up into Jane’s face, “I-I know it would make you unhappy. You want me to get better.” He pulled his pants down partway to show Jane the damage. “Just look what he did.” Loki pouted, tears still pouring down his cheeks. “Just three swats and my butt is already as red as a cherry.” He gave his backside a rub. “And burns like the dickens.”

Jane pouted in sympathy at Loki. “He’s trying, Loki. He’s not always right I know, but he’s learning. He knows he was wrong, and he feels really bad about it. I don’t think he’s going to make that mistake again.”

Loki yanked his pants back up. “His problem is that he reacts before he thinks through the situation. He’s always been that way.” He sniffled, wiping at his eyes.

“Well…he can be a bit rash. I’ll give you that. He’s not perfect, Loki; none of us are.” Jane sighed sadly, hoping Loki could overlook Thor’s transgression this once.

Loki sniffed and pouted up at Jane, studying her a moment. “I suppose you want me to forgive him,” he mumbled.

A small smile creased her lips. “I would very much appreciate it if you would.” She continued to rub his back now in the manner she knew he really enjoyed to pamper him.

"Okay," Loki sighed, "I will. But it's not going to make my backside feel better." Loki frowned. “Is he going to apologize to me?”

She chuckled. “I’m quite sure he already wishes to. He’s probably just waiting to hear how you are doing and wanting me to talk to you first before he comes to see you.”

Loki lay his head back down, glancing over at the bottle of medicine. “Uh…Jane,” he said, “I want you to help me with something. Before I see Thor, could you…take my temperature again?” He grimaced at the memories the thermometer brought back, but he shoved them aside. He wasn’t going to the hospital this time. He just wanted to check something. Jane asking him if he was fully human still bothered him.

Jane nodded. “Sure, I left it in your bathroom. Hold on; I’ll go grab it right quick.” She rose from the bed and moved into his bathroom, opening the mirror and pulling it down. She brought it to him, pulling it out of the case and holding it out to put under his tongue.

Loki opened his mouth and let her put it in.

Jane waited for a time before pulling it out of his mouth and reading it. “It’s getting much better. You’re still a little warm at 100-degrees, but that’s not in the red by far.” She looked concerned. “Are you feeling worse again?”

Loki looked saddened by the thermometer’s reading, then his eyes widened at Jane’s words. “No! No, it has nothing to do with my illness.” He looked down at the bed. “I’ve been thinking about what you said earlier—about Odin making me fully human. I…just wanted to check my temperature.” He sighed wearily. “You see…If I still had my Frost Giant side, my internal body temperature would be much lower—much, much lower.” Loki still looked saddened. Even though he wasn’t fond of his Jotun side, he still felt like Odin had robbed him of who he was as part of his punishment. And this annoyed him greatly. “I sort of figured it out when we first came here to Midgard, but I was hesitant to say anything because even I didn’t want to accept the truth. I started experiencing things I’ve never experienced before, like…cold…when I ate the ice at the hospital, drank the ice water, had chills with the fever, and when I felt cold water in the bathroom. First time I’ve ever felt anything…cold. If I was still anyways Jotun, the cold wouldn’t bother me.” He reached out and took Jane’s hand that had the thermometer and turned it toward him to see the readout for himself. He wasn’t used to reading such things, but he knew the temperature was much too high for a Frost Giant’s internal temperature. He sighed, letting go of her hand. "Looks like I'm completely mortal."

She cocked her head at him and ran a hand through his hair. “Try not to worry too much about it, Loki. I’m sure it’s not forever. Your father released Thor from his punishment, and I do not doubt in time that he’ll also release you as well. Just try not to give up hope.”

“That's because Thor learned his lesson and was deemed worthy of his power again. I will be released whenever I learn what Odin wishes me to learn.” Loki said flatly, glancing over at the bottle of medicine again. “That’s usually when punishment ends. Although this time I don’t know how severe it is, especially since I was locked up in a prison cell before he gave me over to Thor’s care.”

She nodded solemnly. “It’s a hard sentence to face, but I don’t doubt that you’ll find a way to be released from it soon enough.” She reached across to pull him closer to her in a warm squeeze to comfort him.

Loki smiled and snuggled into her. "But this concerns me. Being mortal means I have to be more careful."

“You do. Very, from what we’ve just experienced,” she agreed with no less than a little apprehension.

Loki wrapped his arms tighter around her. "No more hospitals," he mumbled.

She squeezed him back. “Let’s hope not. I don’t want to go back either. Speaking of,” She reached over, grabbing the bottle, “let’s take steps to ensure no more hospital trips, eh?”

Loki’s heart fell when he saw the bottle. He slowly looked up at her.

She chuckled. “Don’t give me that look, Loki; you’re breaking my heart with the puppy dog eyes.”

Loki sighed, sitting up and taking the bottle. “I guess I should be grateful that it isn’t shots,” he said, cringing at the thought of having to get a shot every four hours. He held the medicine in his hands, staring down at it and his bottom lip pooching out. “But it’s still horrible stuff.”

She smirked. “I can tell. It looks like it tastes dreadful. But, you are down to six left after this one, so there’s that, I suppose.”

Loki looked at her. "Only six? And then that will be it? I'll be completely well?"

Her smile broadened. “Yeah, only six left. As for being completely well, I’m not sure, but you shouldn’t have to take any more medicine for it, so that’s good right?”

Loki smiled, nodding. Then his smile dropped. "What do you mean you are not sure about me being completely well? I thought that's what this horrid stuff is for."

She laughed. “It is! But that doesn’t mean that by the time you finish taking it that you will be completely well again just that the bacteria will be dead, so they can’t make you sick again.”

"Oh," said Loki, even though he still didn't fully understand. If the bacteria was what made him sick, to begin with, and it was dead, then that meant he'd be well, right? Finally, Loki uncapped the bottle and downed the medicine, gagging when the bottle had been emptied. He handed it to Jane and turned a grimace to her. "I hate being mortal," he choked out.

She grinned at him, taking the empty bottle. “Don’t knock it too much, or we other mortals might get offended.”

He playfully stuck his tongue out at her.

“I ought to grab it the next time you stick that thing at me!” She laughed as she stood, turning to look back at him. “Are you going to come out? Or do you want to stay in here a little longer?”

He rubbed at his bottom again, getting up off the bed and following Jane. “I-I’ll come with you.”

She wrapped an arm around him and gave him a quick squeeze. “Thank you. I’m glad you will.” Jane went to open the door, and Thor sat slumped against the wall lifting his head when he saw the door open.

Thor stood up right now looking grim and contrite. He stood there now wanting to speak but waiting for Loki to come out of his room before he did so.

Loki stood back at first when he realized Thor was in the hallway, hiding behind Jane. If hiding is the proper word to describe it, seeing that he was a lot taller than the woman. He couldn’t help frowning slightly at remembering what was expected to happen between himself and Thor. His eyes looked Thor up and down and then blinked, expecting Thor to make the first move. Finally, he sighed, gently pushing Jane forward.

"You go ahead," he said to her. "I think it best that Thor and I talk alone in here." He looked at Thor again, motioning him to come into the bedroom.

Thor was grateful Loki didn’t throw any hateful glares at him. Jane moved past Thor and patted him on the stomach tenderly, he was very glad she had spoken to Loki first. He doubted Loki would be in any mood to speak to him otherwise. As soon as he entered the room and Loki closed the door behind them. He sighed. “I am sorely sorry, brother. I…I wish I had read that you were jesting. I feel like a right fool for my behavior. Can you forgive me?”

Loki leaned back against the door, his hands tucked behind him, subtly rubbing at his still burning bottom. He contemplated Thor's words a moment.

"I forgive you, Thor," Loki finally said. The words felt alien to him and tasted bitter in his mouth—almost as bitter as the aftertaste of the medicine. He really couldn't believe he had said them out loud, and to Thor. But the scariest part was that he really did mean it. He looked down at the floor so he wouldn't have to look at Thor face to face. "I-I'm sorry if I came off sounding obstinate. As much as I would like to get rid of that awful medicine, I wouldn't. It would hurt Jane too much. She wants me to get better. And as much as I hate the stuff, I don't want to go back to that hospital." Loki's cheeks flushed. "Besides, if Jane ever found out that I emptied those medicine bottles she would tan my rear good with her hairbrush. I don't ever want to feel that hairbrush again."

Thor took a step forward, pulling Loki in another hug, albeit more gentle this time so as not to break the man. “Thank you, Loki. Your forgiveness means more than you know.”

Loki laid his head on Thor's shoulder and wrapped an arm around him, enjoying the embrace. His other hand still worked to soothe his bottom.

"I just wish it could help take this burning away." He winced. "Those three swats were awfully hard, Thor. You need to keep in mind that I'm mortal now, and watch your strength. You don't want to put me back in the hospital."

Thor took what Loki said seriously as he nodded understanding. “I will be vigilant in my care for you from now on, Loki. The last thing I want is to injure you.”

Loki gave Thor a squeeze and then pulled away. “Let’s go see if Jane has lunch ready. I’m hungry.”

Thor’s throat rumbled with a deep chuckled as he mussed Loki’s hair. “For someone so thin, you are perpetually hungry, brother. Come; let’s see what Jane can prepare us.” Thor opened the door for Loki allowing him to lead the way.

“You’d think I wouldn’t be after how many doses of that medicine I’ve had,” said Loki, putting a hand on his stomach. He walked to the kitchen and stopped next to the table, quickly glancing at Darcy.

Darcy seemed pleased to see him return. “Hey!”

Jane was cleaning up a bit in the living room, but she turned a smile to Loki and Thor glad the two came out together and were wearing smiles on their faces.

Loki gave Darcy a smile and walked over to Jane. “After lunch, can just the two of us continue painting?” he said in a low voice. He didn’t mind Thor and Darcy watching, but he wanted to spend some time with just Jane with no one else around.

Jane raised an eyebrow at Loki's question. "I suppose so. So you're mentioning lunch, so I take it you're hungry then?"

Loki shrugged. “A little,” he answered. “I want to eat before I have to take another dose of that medicine.” He glanced around at the others before facing Jane again. “Why? Is it a problem that I’m hungry?”

She giggled. "Of course not; I was just playing with you since you hadn't asked me to make anything and were assuming as much."

Loki smiled at Jane as he shifted from one foot to the other. He winced, placing his hands on his bottom and rubbing. Even though he had forgiven his brother, he still couldn’t help flashing a frown in Thor’s direction. He was now going to have to spend the rest of his afternoon with unnecessary soreness.

Jane patted him on the shoulder. "Why don't you go relax, I'll make us some turkey sandwiches." She walked past Loki, into the kitchen and began pulling out food.

Darcy was interested instantly. "Time to eat! What are we having?"

Jane shook her head, looking back to see both Darcy and Thor now hovering like buzzing flies. "I guess Loki was the only one that was going to tell me everyone was getting hungry."

Loki watched Jane and Darcy pull out and start preparing lunch, and then he turned and walked over to the bookshelf. He scanned the book titles, finally resting his eyes on a set of encyclopedias at the bottom. He bent down and pulled out the ‘D’ and flipped through it until he found dolphins. He immediately became mesmerized by the strange earth creature, staring fixedly at the picture the book provided. He wanted to paint a picture of one for Jane, but he had no idea what they looked like. Now he knew. He smiled, looking up and toward Jane. He took the encyclopedia with him and walked to the couch, gingerly sitting.


	25. Telling Stories

It didn't take long for the women to put together the sandwiches and clear the table for the group to eat. Of course, Loki was sure to have his pillow readily available for him in his seat as Jane called them all over to eat.

Loki set aside the encyclopedia and walked over to the table. He looked down at the pillow on his chair, looking forward to the day when he would be able to sit normally again without having to have a pillow to cushion his seat. He eased himself down, silently watching the others carry on their conversation as they took their seats.

Jane served them some sweet tea to go with their sandwiches, and she sat down to join them. “Dig in, everybody.”

Jane did not have to tell Thor twice as he’d been holding his sandwich in hand just waiting for her to say the word before he started devouring it.

Darcy was not far behind, although she was much more delicate in her eating.

Loki ate quietly and slow. He wrinkled his nose at seeing Thor eat. His brother’s table manners had always disgusted him, even when they were kids. Seeing the god of thunder scarf down a sandwich in front of him left him feeling nauseous. Or maybe it was the medicine. Loki pinched off a piece of his sandwich and stuck it in his mouth, chewing slowly.

Thor was finished with both of his sandwiches before Loki had even finished half of his sandwich. Darcy had finished not long after Thor, and the two were carrying on a conversation about the latest movie they’d just watched.

Jane just smiled, watching them while she continued to eat before turning to Loki, “So, any ideas what you’re going to paint next? I’m probably just going to watch you since I kind of lack the skills.” She laughed as she glanced at the picture she made, shaking her head in slight embarrassment. “An artist I am not!”

Loki shrugged. “I don’t know. I’ll just have to wait and see when I start.” He smiled. 

Jane smiled back. “I’m sure whatever you decide on will be great!”

“Do you want to watch a movie?” Darcy asked Thor, and he agreed, leaving the table to follow Darcy to the couch.

Jane watched them go, smirking at Loki. “It looks like you got your alone time with me without even trying.”

Loki watched Thor and Darcy leave then turned a guilty face to Jane.

“I-I’m sorry if my question earlier seemed…I don’t know…rude?” He rolled his shoulders. “I don’t mind Thor and Darcy watching me paint and giving me compliments. It’s just…” He wasn't sure how to say it.

“It’s just…?” Jane encouraged Loki to continue.

Loki looked down at his plate, his cheeks turning slightly pinkish. “I-I just wanted to spend some time with you, alone. I enjoyed our conversations at the campsite and the time we spent with just the two of us." It was close enough, anyway. The truth was he had always painted alone with Frigga. It had always been a time set aside for just the two of them. He glanced over at Thor. Besides, he really didn't feel like being around Thor at the moment.

She took his hand in hers, giving it a soft pat. “That’s fine, Loki. I like spending time with you, too. There’s no need to be ashamed of not wanting to be a part of a crowd.” 

Loki looked at Jane and smiled.

“I…think I’m going to have to paint standing up this time.” He moved uncomfortably. “Even with the pillow I still feel…uncomfortable.” Loki frowned. “Stupid Thor. I’m never going to sit comfortably again after this week is over."

She smirked, whispering, “You can’t blame that all on Thor after this morning.”

Loki fell quiet, looking down at his plate again. She had a point, even though he didn't like thinking about it. “Thank you for not telling Thor about that, by the way,” he whispered.

She squeezed his shoulder. “Don’t worry about it. We can work some things out just between us I think.”

Loki nodded, pushed his empty plate to the side, and got up to gather his paint supplies to put on the table. He pulled his chair away and stood in its place, smiling down at Jane sitting beside him.

“You know, I’m still thinking about pouring that stuff down the sink.” His face was completely serious at first. But when Jane looked up at him, a playful smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. He took a step to the side, bumping her playfully with his hip, his smirk turning into a full grin.

She laughed as she gathered the empty plates from the table to bring to the sink. “You really are incorrigible, you know?”

Loki's grin turned back into a smug smirk. "I'll take that as a compliment." He busied himself with setting up his workspace as he spoke. "So what are we planning to do after I get through taking that nasty medicine and can actually leave the house?"

Her smile faltered. Jane and Thor had spoken between themselves about how Thor would have to go back to Asgard once Loki was well again. She needed to get back to her research as well, but she knew that Loki was not going to want to hear the truth. She did have to tell him, though, so she tried to be gentle, 

“Well, we’ll have to make plans for our next big adventure when you and Thor come back to visit again. I’m thinking that aquarium we were looking at on the internet? What do you think?”

Loki looked over at her. He had been afraid she’d say that, but he’d hoped that the plans had changed. He looked down at the table again, absently fingering a tube of paint.

“It sounds fun, but…I want to stay here with you,” he said softly.

The forlorn look on his face caused her to reach out to him to cup his cheek. “Oh, Loki. You know your father would not approve.”

“Why wouldn’t he? As long as I’m out of his hair, I really don’t think he cares where I stay.” He held back a few tears. “I don’t want to go back to Asgard. There’s nothing to do there, except for being dragged around by Thor wherever he wishes to go. Aside from Thor, I’ll be all alone.” A tear streaked down his cheek. “I promise I won't be any trouble. I...I could even help you with your research...whatever your research is."

Jane gave him a soft, sympathetic smile. “It’s not that I wouldn’t love to have you here, Loki, but…if you did decide not to listen to me for any reason, I won’t be able to stop you. I’d like to believe that you’d always agree with me and listen to my advice, but on the far off chance that you don’t, I would be to blame for whatever choices you make. I would have to take responsibility for taking you in as my ward, and as much as I’d like to have you here, I can’t be selfish in that regard. Do you understand?”

Loki remained silent and solemn a few minutes, not really wanting to continue the conversation. He didn't want to argue with Jane, and even if he did he knew he wouldn't win. And any further conversation would only cause Thor to come into it, of which he did not want.

"Won't be able to stop me, huh?" Loki smirked, giving his backside a rub. "Hard for me to believe that... _Mommy_. I'm fairly certain that if I did decide not to listen to you that you would blister my butt good to make me listen."

He had added the 'mommy' part as a joke to poke at Jane, but some deep part of him secretly wanted to call her Mother for real. He had lost Frigga, now he was going to lose Jane. The thought of that was more than he could bear. Being around her helped to soothe and calm him and made him feel safe, something he never thought he would feel again since losing Frigga. And what's more, Jane loved, understood, and accepted him...like Frigga had done. It was rare that he met anyone that would want to be around a trickster, much less love one.

She giggled at his reference. “Oh, I certainly would blister that hiney if you didn’t listen to me, but you also have to agree that you deserve it on some level enough to submit to me. Unlike your brother and yourself, I’m just a mere mortal remember?”

Loki didn't like the sound of that, but he didn't say any more. He turned moist eyes to her.

"I just don't want to lose you," he said softly.

“Aw, come here.” Sensing he needed comfort, Jane pulled him into a tight embrace.

Loki melted into her arms, just wanting to stay there.

"I don't know when we'll be back," he finally said.

She squeezed him tighter, responding softly, "I'm not going anywhere. I'll be here when you need me, and I'm sure if you truly do, Thor will make sure you can come see me."

Loki pulled away from her enough to look her in the face. What was she saying? He needed her every day! He enjoyed waking up and seeing her there. He enjoyed feeling her hand in his hair, and the way she massaged his back. He liked hearing her voice. He liked their talks. And he liked the way she seemed to know what he needed and when. Finally, he leaned forward and touched his nose to hers.

She chuckled lightly at this action, chiding affectionately, "Silly man."

Loki smiled. He pulled himself away and stood up, silently turning his attention back to his painting. As he worked to mix paints, his mind worked like well-lubricated gears in a clock. Maybe going back to Asgard was inevitable, but he still wasn’t ready to go back just yet. There had to be a way for him to stay longer. Since the only thing that was keeping them there now was him recovering from his illness, maybe he could fake sickness to prolong their stay? Yeah, that was a good idea. He could do that, and maybe even get some more attention and pampering from Jane in the process. Although he would have to approach it carefully so he wouldn’t end up in the hospital again. He definitely didn’t want to end up there again.

He turned a mischievous smirk to Jane. But the moment his eyes landed on her, his smirk faltered. Something in the back of his mind tickled and told him his plans were wrong. He wasn’t sure why. He was a trickster. He’d played numerous pranks before. And he would be doing this one in order for him and Jane to spend more time with each other, so it wasn’t wrong, right? He was doing it for a good reason. That tickling flared up again, and so did the current pain in his bottom. He responsively placed a hand behind him. What if he got caught? Thor and Jane would probably be upset with him. He’d just have to be careful and not get caught. Maybe he’d just fake being sick for about a week.

Jane watched Loki decorate the canvas with a myriad of colors as the two sat mostly in silence, only muttering small tidbits of conversation about Loki's painting before Jane asked, "Would you like it if I read to you while you painted?"

Loki pulled his attention away from painting long enough to look at Jane, wondering if he had heard her right. He smiled. “Yeah, I’d like that.” Frigga used to read to him all the time.

She lightly rubbed his shoulder as she asked, "Anything, in particular, you want me to read?"

“No, not really,” he replied. “Something that isn’t boring.”

She tittered, giving him a smirk. "Well then, why don't you grab the book, Mr. Picky."

Loki looked down at his painting, setting the brush aside. “Um…I don’t know." He stopped, looking back at Jane. "Why don't you tell me a story?" He reached behind him and pulled up his chair, and gently sat down, getting as comfortable as was possible. He grabbed his paintbrush again.

She blushed. "Uh, I'm not much of a storyteller, Loki. I was thinking I could read you a chapter or so of a book that was interesting you. Sorry."

“I’m sure you’re a great storyteller.” Loki smiled at her. “Well, do you have any adventure books on your shelves that I haven’t read yet?” he said, not wanting to push her into feeling uncomfortable.

“I’m sure I do. Have you ever read _Treasure Island_?” she queried.

“No,” Loki replied.

Jane brightened. “Well you are going to enjoy this I think. Do you know anything about pirates?”

Loki nodded. “Odin used to tell me and Thor about them after he came back from his trips to Midgard. Thor used to get worked up for days, having wild fantasies about battling them."

This pleased Jane as she laughed at the thought of Thor pretending to be fighting pirates. “It’s funny, pirates were only really around for a twenty-year span, but their legacy…their legacy is well…legendary you could say.”

Loki nodded, then smirked amusingly. “If you're ever interested in embarrassing stories involving Thor, just let me know.”

She nodded vigorously, giving Loki a mischievous grin. “I’ll never say no to that, although you better be careful because he might return the favor.”

Loki gave a small laugh. “You’ve already seen me get spanked and needles jabbed in my rear, not to mention…me sucking my thumb.” He coughed and cleared his throat. “What else is there?” Actually, he thought of several stories Thor could tell, but he wasn’t about to say anything. Like the time he got his helmet's horns tangled in the tree branches.

Jane beamed. "Well, if you've nothing to hide, you know I'm dying to hear something juicy!"

“Me still sucking my thumb was supposed to be a secret not even Thor knew,” he said with a pout. “Now three people know.” He looked over at Jane, lowering his voice. “Of course, I still have things to hide. But as long as Thor doesn’t find out that I told you, it’s okay.” He smirked.

Jane glanced at him conspiratorially. "Oh, so you're holding out on me, are you?"

Loki glanced at her, a bit nervous now. “Hey, I said I’d tell you embarrassing stories about Thor, not me.”

She laughed. "Fair enough, but you know it'd probably be in your best interest to tell me yourself. After all, do you really want me to get those stories from Thor or from you?" Her smile broadened.

Loki looked at her out of the corner of his eye, nervously squirming in his chair. “I thought you were going to read to me.”

She bore a grin now that threatened to split her face as she bounced towards the bookshelf, milling around the shelves until she found what she was looking for, bringing the book back with her and sitting beside Loki, wiggling in her seat to get comfortable. "Alright. Are you ready?"

Loki lifted an eyebrow, eyeing Jane curiously. He put down his paintbrush and put his hand on the book. “Why do I get the feeling that you’re not going to let what we just talked about rest?”

She let out a loud raucous laugh, feeling tickled by the notion that Loki looked so interested as she stated with an eyebrow wiggle. "What do you think?"

“I’m supposed to be the trickster, remember?” He smirked.

"Oh? Do you hold the honorary title then? No one else gets to play around you?" she teased mirthfully.

He gave her a smirk, admiring her cunningness. “Okay, embarrassing Thor stories.” Loki smiled.

She nodded, a wide smile playing itself across her lips as she rocked in obvious excitement to hear what he would say. “Go on then.”

Loki was surprised that it was Thor’s stories she wanted to hear and not his own. He thought a moment, looking back toward the living room where Thor and Darcy were still watching TV. Then he moved closer to her, keeping his voice low.

“There was this one time when we were teenagers. We went to our secret place and spent the day swimming. But we had to be back at the palace by a certain time. I finished swimming first, and Thor decided to stay in a little longer while I packed up and headed back to the horses. I found it to be a perfect opportunity to play a prank on him. So I picked up Thor’s clothes and took them with me without him realizing. And once I got the horses packed, I hopped on mine and headed back to the palace and left Thor there without any clothes to speak of.” Loki was clearly holding back laughter. “Several hours passed before he came running through the halls with his horse’s saddle wrapped around the obvious areas, trying to make it to his bedroom before the guards or anyone else saw him. Boy, was Thor mad at me for several weeks after that.”

Jane burst out laughing before he’d even gotten halfway through the story, knowing Loki had taken his clothes, she had guessed where the rest of the story was going, so she was laughing throughout. “I’m sure he got you back for that! Oh, I would have!”

"Well, Mother _did_ have to keep us separated until Thor cooled off." Loki cleared his throat. He grinned. “And I already told you about the time I put a crawfish down his trousers, and he screamed like a girl. He’s so easy to play that prank on. I’ve slipped a great many things down his trousers in our lifetime. His reaction never gets old."

She shook her head, still laughing. “You are such a meanie, I swear! Surely he must have had some good counter-attacks you suffered in light of all the misery you caused him with your pranks?” 

“He’s not very good at pranks.” Loki grinned. “Any counter attacks he’s done have been in the form of anger and brute strength." Loki swallowed, fiddling with his paintbrush. "Although there was that one time when he took me completely by surprise and poured water down the back of my trousers. But he had Fandral's help."

“I don’t know much of Fandral other than the one meeting with the Warriors Three a long time ago, but from the short amount of time I spoke with him, he strikes me as someone that might give you a run for your money in the pranks department,” Jane mused.

Loki rolled his eyes, not wanting to go there. “Thor has gotten me back in his own ways. Like all of those frightening stories he told me when I was little. I couldn’t sleep on the nights when he did that. Mother finally got onto him when she found out.” He smirked.

Jane chuckled. “Oh, to have had a sibling. I’ve heard so many stories from friends on how you guys torture each other, but then I’ve heard a lot of stories about a level of bonding I’ve never felt being an only child.”

"Torture is right. Although it's only torture when it's happening to me. When it's happening to Thor, it's entertainment." Loki smiled. “Speaking of which, he wasn’t always graceful when handling that hammer of his. I can’t begin to tell you how many times he hit himself with it until he mastered catching it in his hand.”

Jane snorted, glancing over at Thor before looking back at Loki and scrunching down in her chair, giggling.

Loki smiled, thoroughly pleased with himself as he watched Jane's reaction with amusement. This was better than her reading to him, he thought. He glanced in Thor’s direction. “My illusions are also easy for him to fall for. No matter how many times I play that prank on him, he falls for it every single time. It never gets old. My favorite was the time when I created the open door illusion. Thor walked right into the wall thinking he was going into a room.” Loki stifled a laugh.

Jane laughed out loud again at the visual, and the two were carrying on so much that both Darcy and Thor had to peer over at them to see what was so funny. Jane waved them off, giggling uncontrollably. “Oh, sorry! I’ll try not to be so loud!”

Loki grinned at Thor then turned back to Jane. “Maybe I’d better stop.”

She tilted her head to the side looking fully at him. “We could just go back to your room to talk; I did promise you another back rub.”

Loki perked up and smiled. “Sounds like a good idea.” He cleaned off his paintbrush and put it aside. Getting up from his chair, he followed Jane through the living room and down the hall to his bedroom, closing the door behind them. Immediately he walked to the bed and flopped tummy down, pulling a pillow under his head.

She crawled on the bed, sitting beside him as she got to work on his right shoulder and neck. “I figured at least if we’re in here laughing, we won’t disturb Darcy and Thor while they watch their movie…especially if you plan to have me laughing so hardily!” She beamed at him, poking him gently in the ribs.

Loki soaked up the pampering. He turned his head over to face her, grinning up at her. “Just watch where those fingers of yours go, or you won’t be the only one laughing.”

She chuckled. “You act like that would be a bad thing?”

He smiled shyly, trying to hold in a giggle. “No," he admitted. "Mother used to tickle me all the time.”

Her eyes brightened as she then announced, “Oh, you shouldn’t have told me you were ticklish!” As she said this she pounced on Loki, tickling his sides and hips to get the trickster jumping and laughing.

Loki’s eyes widened at feeling the tickle onslaught, then he buried his face in his pillow and finally burst out laughing and giggling, twisting and kicking and trying his best to push Jane away. He quickly grabbed hold of his pajama bottoms and pulled them up to hold in place as he continued twisting and curling into a ball. By now he was laughing so much that tears started to stream down his cheeks.

Feeling he’d had enough, Jane collapsed beside him panting and laughing almost as hard as he was.

Loki lay there, still laughing and breathing hard as he eyed Jane.

Her hair was stuck to her forehead in a messy display having jumped all about tickling him, and her face was flushed from her exertion, but she wore a huge bright smile that lit up the room as she stared back at him contentedly. 

“So, I guess you want to hear more stories about Thor?” he finally said, still trying to get his breath back.

She smiled wider, giving him an enthusiastic nod. “I surely would!” She giggled, grabbing one of his pillows and fluffing it before plopping her head down in an obvious show that she fully expected just that, and she was making herself comfortable while she waited for him to begin.

Loki studied her a moment before lifting an eyebrow. “I know what you want,” he said with a smirk. “You’re hoping I’ll tell you some of my embarrassing stories. I can see it in your face."

She rolled her eyes to the ceiling, her cheeks tight with how hard she was smiling as she tittered softly, “I don’t know what you’re talking about!”

“You know, as a trickster, I admire your level of deviousness. I’m impressed.” He smirked amusingly. “Just for that, I’ll tell you some of my demeaning moments…only if you make with the back rubbing,” he said, grinning deviously. “If I’m going to humiliate myself, I should at least get something in return.”

She laughed, sitting up. “Alright, roll over, your princeliness. I think I can manage that.”

Grinning, Loki rolled over. He brushed his hair back and wiped the dried tears from his cheeks and made himself comfortable.

"So...let's see, which would you rather hear? The time I got my helmet caught in a tree, all of the mishaps I've had while learning magic, when Thor threw me in the fountain, when my pet dragon crawled down into my trousers, the time one of the scullery maids walloped me with her broom, or the time Sif paddled me with her sword?" Loki's cheeks blushed. "Although I think this visit has been far more embarrassing than anything else I can tell. Everything that's happened to me thus far hasn't been good for my manhood." He reached to tug at the loose seat of his pajama bottoms. "Not to mention these things. I must get them fixed when we get back to Asgard."

Jane beamed at him as she rubbed his back vigorously. “Well, I’ll tell you what, you keep spinning stories, and I’ll keep rubbing your back. So, you tell as many as you’d like your back rubbed for…your choice on the stories you pick.”

Loki looked over his shoulder at her, giving her a glare. Then the corner of his mouth curled into a smirk. "Oh, you're good," he said. "Which do you want me to start off with?"

She started rubbing once more. “Hmm… tell me the one that caught you most by surprise,” she teased, giving him the slightest poke to let him know at any moment she could start tickling him again.

Loki's smile widened at feeling the tickling poke and he giggled. "That could easily be any of them," he answered. "But I guess the one where the maid got me with her broom was the worst. In case you didn't know, I'm a shapeshifter. I had just learned how to gain control and work my shapeshifting abilities. So just for the fun of it, I took the form of a cat—big black cat with green eyes. I went prowling through the halls until I came into the scullery and kitchen area of the palace. I guess I startled the maids or something. I was just minding my own business when I heard this horrible scream. It scared me and I began running. But before I got far, I heard a loud, 'Scat! Get out of here!' and the maid's broom swiftly made contact with my backside, propelling me forward down the hallway. I scrambled around until I regained my footing. Once I got back to my bedroom I changed back. I was so ashamed and terrified by the experience that I never told anyone about it except for Mother."

“Aw! What a mean maid! I don’t like people that treat animals like that since she obviously didn’t know it was you!” This story made Jane give a small pout although she hadn’t lost her humor for the story since her eyes still shone brightly and her cheeks shined with her mirth. 

Loki looked at Jane. "We have some grumpy maids. Why do you think I enjoy teasing and pranking them so much? You can get a fun reaction out of someone like that. There's an elderly one we've had ever since I was a kid—grumpiest and meanest one of them all. She's always called me a spoiled brat. Anything that went wrong, she always blamed me, even if she had no proof that I was anywhere near it. I'm pretty sure she'd love to take her spoon to me if she got the chance." Loki scowled.

Jane giggled. "Did you prank that maid so badly that she always blames you, Loki? Somehow I have a feeling you likely drove that woman to believe so through repeated offense!"

"Why she always blames me, I don't know. But she is one of my favorites to prank." Loki smiled. "She just loves my snake illusions," he said sarcastically.

Jane laughed. "You're lucky she doesn't step on you one of these days, Loki! A lot of people are terrified of snakes. Darcy totally would have squashed you!"

Loki smiled back at her. “Oh, I wasn’t the snake. It was just one of my illusions. The first time I played that prank on her, I really was the snake. And she did almost step on me. After that, I took to just using illusions.”

Jane gave his bottom a soft playful swat. "You really are very naughty! That's for all the mischief you've caused and not been caught for!" She chuckled as she said this in obvious jest.

Loki brought his feet up to try and shield his backside, giving Jane a fake pout before cracking a smile. “I was just having a bit of fun.”

"Me, too. I marvel at hearing about just how you get into trouble let alone the adventure you have getting into it!" Jane started karate chopping his back now to gently loosen the tightened muscles.

Loki continued to smile, enjoying the massage. “Next story. My tiny pet dragon, Colborn, never liked Thor’s booming laughter. It scared him. I always had to be careful when I had him around Thor. Well, one afternoon I made the mistake of approaching Thor while Colborn was on my shoulder. I really don’t remember what happened to start it, but Thor laughed loud over something. The next thing I knew, Colborn ran down the length of me and somehow managed to squeeze down into my trousers to hide instead of going into his special leather pocket on the side.” Loki paused, looking back at Jane. “Believe me when I tell you that you do not want a tiny dragon crawling down into your trousers...ever. First of all, you have the tiny hooked claws digging into your skin as they try to hold on. That’s painful enough. Secondly, tiny dragons, when scared, angered, or startled, breathe fire. It’s some sort of defensive reflex. I should have pulled my trousers down like Thor suggested and allowed him to remove Colborn from me. Instead, I panicked and Colborn’s claws were digging into me. So I quickly reached down into my trousers and grabbed hold of Colborn and accidentally squeezed him, scaring him more than he already was.” Loki’s cheeks flushed. He cleared his throat, falling silent, not wanting to finish the story.

Jane laughed so hard her sides threatened to split. “Let me guess, Colborn blew a fire hole through your britches!”

“Close.” Loki’s cheeks turned a deeper red. “The little devil ruined a good pair of trousers and sent me to the healing room for minor burns to my rear, hip, and legs. Fortunately, I managed to pull him out before he made his way around to my…uh…my privates. It was such a humiliating moment, especially for someone like me who can normally manipulate fire.” Loki hid his face in his pillow. His rear involuntarily clenched at the memory.

Jane flinched. “Oh, that sounds horrible! You’re lucky you had healing rooms as that kind of wound to heal takes a really long time and is quite painful!”

“It was quite painful when I got the burns,” Loki said flatly. He gave Jane a serious look. "How can you mortals live in this realm anyway? Everything involving medical and you healing is painful. It's like you get some sort of pleasure out of inflicting pain on those already in pain."

She shook her head, giving a soft chuckle. “That’s not quite the case. We don’t have the ability to use magic like you Asgardians do, so we kind of have to take the slow way around.”

“I’m still upset that you didn’t warn me about the shots.” Loki faked a pout to play on her sympathy.

Jane smirked. “You know, shots aren’t a given at the hospital. You just happened to get extra lucky!”

Loki glared at her, huffing. "I hope there are no more in my future."

She reached over, tickling him. “Well, as long as you continue to take your medicine, I don’t think that’s going to be a problem…hopefully.”

Loki squirmed, grinning and giggling. 

Seeing Loki’s book bag next to the nightstand, Jane asked, “Did you want me to read to you a little now?”

Loki smirked. “Oh? So you’re done hearing of my humiliation? I did have a few more.” His smirked turned into a full smile. “Or I could tell you more stories of my naughtiness, providing that you don't swat my rear for every one."

She chortled. “Please do go on! I think I can hold back, but no promises if you tell me something particularly bad!” she teased, settling back to listen to Loki. 

Loki smirked. “Before I continue with my own, though; another one about Thor.” Loki snickered. “The time I turned his hair pink.”

“Pink! With what?” Her eyes were animated with interest.

“A dye potion.” Loki grinned from ear to ear, stifling a laugh. “I poured it into his hair while he slept. It stayed pink for about four weeks, regardless of how many times he tried washing it out.”

She laughed, shaking her head. “You are ruthless! I’m surprised your brother hasn’t hung you up by your pinky toes by now!”

Loki laughed. “Mother wouldn’t have allowed that, with me being her baby and all.”

She snorted. “By the sounds of it, she allowed too much with the way you were running about!”

Loki pouted. “She gave me quite a few scoldings.”

Jane mussed his hair. “You are quite the free spirit; I imagine you gave her many faces just like that. A mother has to brace herself to defend against such cuteness.”

Loki grinned, his eyes twinkling. “I always knew how to approach her to get out of any punishment,” he confessed. “They don’t call me silver-tongued and a liar for nothing. Plus she always did love my puppy face and couldn't resist.”

“Who could resist that face?” Jane teased.

Loki made his face look as innocent and cute as he could, just for her.

She laughed. “That is WAY too practiced, Loki!”

Loki broke into a grin. “Anyway, getting back to stories.” He cleared his throat. “I have a lot of unpleasant memories when it comes to Sif, too.” Loki rolled his eyes. “Not only has she kicked me in the crotch a few times, but she also saw fit to paddle me with the flat part of her sword when I unhitched her winged horse and let it fly off.” Loki laid his head on his folded arms. “Although I think she mostly did it to get back at me for cutting her hair off, as I’ve already told you before.”

Jane let out a small noise of disapproval. “I would have paddled you until you couldn’t sit for a week if you’d cut my hair off. That really is a low blow, Loki,” Jane chided.

A tingle ran through his rear at hearing Jane’s words. Loki slowly rolled over on his back to pull his bottom out of her reach. “I did it because she wouldn’t let me ride her horse.”

Jane lifted a brow. “Was that all? You say that like it was justified, Loki. Do you know how long it takes to grow hair? Several years!”

“Yes, that was all.” Loki pouted. “Mother spanked me for the action and I went and got Sif some new magic hair. Not the color she had previously, but it was the only thing I could do.”

Jane seemed pleased to hear he’d been punished for such a transgression. The magic hair mention did make Jane curious. “Where did you go to replace her hair?”

“I bought it from a vendor in the village. I think it was made by dwarves. Whatever. I gave her hair back.” He moved around, trying to tuck his rear as far under him as he could, not liking the tone Jane was using with him. “You aren’t going to spank me, too, are you?” he said, a bit worried now.

She chuckled, shaking her head. “No, but I probably should!” she joked before returning to the conversation. “They just sell magic hair in the vendor stalls? Man, now I really want to go to Asgard just to get a chance to go shopping there!”

Loki worriedly looked at her, then smiled when he realized she was just joking with him. He relaxed and nodded in reply to her question. “They sell all kinds of things at the vendor stalls.”

She sidled up next to him now, lying on her elbows and rocking back and forth to bump hips with Loki as she spoke, “I’d love to see them some day. I do hope Odin considers your brother’s request.” She seemed a bit saddened then, lowering her chin onto her arms and staring at the wall in contemplation.

Loki smiled at her. He hoped Odin would consider it, too. He rolled back over to lay on his stomach, brushing his shoulder against hers. “Another story," he said, changing the subject when he saw the sadness in her facial features. "There was a time not too long ago when my helmet got caught in a tree.” He looked at Jane. “You’ve never seen my helmet, have you?” He made a mental note to show it to her when she came to visit Asgard.

She turned back to him now, her smile finding its way back onto her face as she shook her head no.

“Okay, well...” He looked around, spotting a piece of crumpled paper and a pencil on the dresser. He reached over and picked them up, smoothing out the paper and sketching out a quick outline of what his helmet looks like and handing it to Jane. “Thor and I were riding through an area with a lot of trees. We had our helmets on at the time. To make a long story short, we passed by some low hanging branches that I thought I could duck under, same as Thor. I was wrong. The horns on my helmet got tangled up in them and nearly yanked me backward off my horse.” His cheeks turned the slightest red. “It took Thor twenty minutes to help me untangle them.”

She giggled. “That’s hilarious! That helmet…it reminds me of a ram. Is that what you were going for?” she half teased but was also curious.

Loki shrugged. "I don't know. I just wanted something different. Thor thinks it looks like a cow."

Jane burst out laughing at that remark, covering her mouth as she tried to get control of the laughter peeling from her.

Loki laughed along with her until a yawn interrupted it. He laid his head on his pillow and smiled at Jane. "I think I'm ready for you to read now," he said. It was still the afternoon, but he suddenly felt sleepy. Not being able to hold back any longer, he automatically lifted a thumb and stuck it in his mouth.

Jane gave his shoulder a light squeeze as she moved off the bed. "I'll be right back," she said gently as she opened his door and moved down the hall. She returned with the book and a small foldout chair that she set up beside his bed. Taking a moment to pull the covers back and over Loki, Jane tucked him in. She then settled down in the chair she'd unfolded making herself comfortable as she pulled the book into her lap. "Alright, are you ready to begin?"

Loki nodded. "But...how did you know I was tired?" he asked, snuggling his face into is pillow.

Jane beamed. "Call it woman's intuition." She gave him a wink as she settled into the chair. She began reading, and as she'd gotten partially through the third chapter, she saw that Loki was fast asleep. She smiled leaning down to plant a kiss on his forehead before softly padding out of his room to sleep. He still had a little over two hours before he was due for his next dose of medicine. She'd give him an extra hour if he didn't wake on his own.


	26. A Talk in Jane’s Office

Loki wasn’t sure how long he had slept when he woke up, but he could still see daylight through the closed window so it wasn’t night yet. He rolled over on his back and rubbed at his eyes. He was pretty sure Thor and Darcy were finished with their movie by now. What time was it? He turned his head to look at the clock on the night table. Five o’clock. It suddenly occurred to him that he hadn’t had any medicine in awhile. He hoped Jane had forgotten about it. He frowned, pulling the cover tighter around him and turning over on his stomach again. It was getting to the point where he was tired of it and didn’t want to take it anymore.

About twenty minutes later, Jane came by to wake Loki, noting he was already awake. "Well, hello there, sunshine." She smiled warmly at him. Much to Loki's dismay, she was carrying one of the dreaded medicine bottles.

Loki looked up at her, excited to hear her voice…until his eyes landed on what she was carrying in her hand. His stomach felt like it was about to turn over just looking at the thing.

“Noooooo…” Loki groaned miserably, putting his head under his pillow.

"Aw, come on now, Loki; you know it's best to just get it over with," Jane teased.

Even though his head was still stuffed under the pillow, Loki’s movements indicated that he shook his head ‘no’. Maybe if he kept his head hidden, he wouldn’t have to take the stuff.

She gave him a playful swat. "Loki, you’d better come take this medicine, young man."

The swat wasn’t painful in the slightest, but Loki’s body still involuntarily jumped at feeling it applied to his bottom, and he quickly pulled his head out from under the pillow, looking warily at Jane, a soured expression on his face. He had been so happy earlier, he thought.

"If looks could kill!" She chuckled. "Only five more times you have to endure this stuff, hon."

Loki stared hatefully at the bottle. Five more times, he thought. Such a small number, yet it already felt like an eternity. But yet, after the bottles were used up it meant he and Thor would be headed back to Asgard. Such a vicious circle. He wanted to hurry and use the medicine up so he wouldn’t have to take it anymore, but he didn’t want to go back to Asgard.

“Every time I take it I feel like I’m going to be sick all over again!” he whined. “I’m surprised I haven’t thrown up by now.”

Jane rolled her eyes, smirking at him. "You know complaining about it isn't making it any easier to get it out of the way."

Loki moved and sat up. He reached out and took the bottle, still not wanting to take it. He sighed, uncapped it, and drank it down. He flinched and cringed, coughing.

“How long did I sleep?” he asked, handing the bottle back to her. His face was still scrunched up in distaste.

She smiled, taking the bottle from him. "Oh, about three hours. I figured I'd let you rest, so you can get better faster."

“Three hours?” Loki said in surprise. “I hardly ever sleep during the day. For some reason I was tired.”

"Well, you've been sick; it's really not too uncommon to sleep a lot when you are feeling unwell," Jane assured.

Loki nodded. He wrapped the covers tighter around him, already feeling somewhat bored.

“Jane,” he said at last, “I’ve told you a lot about myself since we’ve been visiting. But I feel like I don’t know a lot about you. Do you have any stories to tell?”

She smiled wryly. “I can’t say my life is anywhere near as exciting as you and Thor’s life, and my time on this Earth is a relative drop in the bucket compared to a couple millennia. I can’t even fathom the things you’ve seen just in one lifetime let alone several.”

Yeah, that was the problem with mortals, he thought. He couldn’t fathom living for such a short time and only experiencing a small part of life. But then again, his long lifespan almost seemed like a curse sometimes, especially if it was spent sitting in a prison cell or suffering some horrific punishment. Still, he was glad that he didn’t have a short life like mortals.

He continued to stare at Jane expectantly. “You said you do research. What do you research?”

She smiled, a spark of enthusiasm animating her movements. “Why, star systems of course! That’s how I found Thor. I’ve got several charts and research I can show you to get a better understanding if you’re really interested.”

He smiled and nodded. “Sure.”

Jane waved him on happily. “Well come on then, I’ll show you!”

Loki pushed the covers off him and slid off the bed. Tugging his pajama pants up, he followed Jane.

Jane led him down the back half of the hallway where her bedroom was located as well as a small office. The room had a single computer and several telescopes and other machines like those out in the living room. There were several posted pictures of star charts cluttering every inch of the walls. She spread her arms, “This is my home away from home. I do have a lab I can go to with a lot better equipment provided by S.H.I.E.L.D, but that place is subject to random visits, so I don’t think it’d be wise to take you there.”

Loki had never been in this part of the house before. He slowly entered behind Jane, curiously looking around the room, taking in as much as he could. He reached out to touch one of the telescopes, but remembering how she had reacted to him touching things the first day they arrived there, decided it best to pull his hand away from it. He moved on, walking over to look at the star charts. He traced his finger over one, studying it intensely.

She walked up beside him. “You probably are pretty familiar with a lot of these charts, am I right?”

"In a way," Loki replied. "Like I said, I'm still learning about Midgard. Some of these are familiar to me, some of them aren't." He turned to Jane, smiling. "Someday I'll bring you Asgardian star charts if you want. Maybe charts for other realms, too. I have some back home that I made myself."

Her eyes lit up impossibly big as if Loki had just offered her a million dollars. “Oh, my, yes! I would love that!” She practically jumped up and down.

He grinned at seeing her excitement. “It’s the least I can do, considering everything you’ve done for me. It’s not every day that someone’s this nice to me. And I know I haven’t been the easiest person to be around.” He turned back to the charts, his cheeks flushing. “I’m also…embarrassed…that you had to…” He glanced down at his pajama bottoms, which were drooping as usual. He took hold of the back of his shirt and pulled it down over his bottom, “see my rear, as well as take part in applying heat to it. Believe me, I had no intentions of that happening on this visit.” He cleared his throat, turning a reddened face back to her. Somehow he managed a shy smile. “You’ve seen a lot more of this trickster than most people do. You’re lucky I like you and think of you as a second mother, otherwise, I’d probably have to kill you.” He gave her a wink.

She chuckled. “Well, I’m glad you don’t feel the need to kill me.” She reached out and squeezed his hand. “I’m also honored you’d see me in such a light. I would never have thought I’d have ever had the nerve to step up and take you in hand like that, but…I’m glad I did…even if it wasn’t overly comfortable for either of us to go through.”

"I'll have you know that not very many people have gotten on my good side." Loki smiled at her, squeezing her hand in return. He looked at her in the way he had always looked at Frigga—with sincere love and respect. Then he got a mischievous look in his eyes, his mouth curling into a smirk. “Although there is one personal thing I must know since you’re officially my second mother, and possibly future sister-in-law. Be honest. Do you think I have the cutest bottom? Mother always said that I had the cutest bottom in all of the Nine Realms.” He fought to hold back the grin that wanted to split his lips. He said it wanting to hear her answer, of course, but he also said it to partly tease her and to see her blush.

She laughed, covering her face and shaking her head in embarrassment. “If you’re working to scare me away from spanking that pert bottom when it’s being naughty, you’ll not deter me, sir!”

Loki’s grin finally broke through as he enjoyed her reaction. Then he pouted at hearing her words. “Okaaay,” He rolled his eyes up at the ceiling, “maybe that was one part of my plan, but spankings aside, I would really like to know what you think." He bumped her with his hip. "Do I or do I not have the cutest butt? Come on, you’ve got to answer. It’s part of your test as my new mother,” he teased, giving her a playful wink.

She shook her head, giving him a playful swat. “I can’t believe you’re asking me that! Honestly, I haven’t paid much attention to the shapeliness of your bottom. I was only paying attention to how it jumped and twitched while I was spanking you and how red it was getting, so I’d know when I’d given you a long enough spanking like Thor had.”

It was Loki’s turn to turn red. He turned his eyes away from Jane, clearing his throat. He glanced at her, then he turned his attention back to the star charts, pretending to look at them.

“I-I’m sorry I said anything,” he said in a low voice, turning a sheepish grin to her. “I just thought that since you’ve seen that part of me, that… Never mind.” He reached to nervously play at the bottom part of his shirt, his cheeks burning up to his ears.

Jane realized belatedly that she’d embarrassed him, but since he’d also embarrassed her she thought it was a break even encounter, so to make them both feel better, she changed the subject, pointing at the chart he was looking at, “That star chart there is the one my father mapped, the first one I ever studied.” 

His face still red, Loki nodded, looking the chart over. He glanced over at Jane, not really sure what to say. He realized that he’d made a complete fool of himself, which actually wasn’t anything new. Jane was, after all, Thor’s girlfriend. It was only natural that she wouldn’t notice…certain…details about him. He realized now that he probably came off like he was flirting with her, which wasn’t the case at all. That thought alone made him feel even more uncomfortable. He never meant for the question to sound like that.

“I-I’m sorry for what I asked,” he finally got out. “I wasn’t flirting with you, I swear. I don’t have those feelings for you at all. Like I said, I think of you as a second mother. Nothing more.” He turned to Jane. “Will you forgive me and forget I ever said anything?”

She turned a bright smile to him. “No need to apologize. I kind of thought that you were just being cute and not flirtatious on purpose. It really is part of your nature I’ve come to see, and I don’t take any offense.”

Loki smiled at her. Then his smile dropped. "All joking aside. Mother really did use to tease me by telling me my bottom was the cutest in all of the Nine Realms, even after I grew older. It used to embarrass me sometimes, especially when she'd casually say it in public like she was commenting on the weather, but I secretly enjoyed the compliment. I guess I was just...trying too hard to make you into her and got carried away." He kept his head lowered as he idly fiddled with his shirt. All mirth was gone from his voice now, replaced by a saddened tone. "I still grieve, Jane. It's one reason why I don't want to go back to Asgard. I don't want to face the emptiness and the loneliness there. Everywhere I go, I know I'll be reminded of her. Being here with you has helped me more than either you or Thor realize. Being here has helped me more than even I would have guessed. And to think I originally agreed to go on this trip so I could escape to one of the other realms to get away from Thor. It greatly pains me to say it and it goes against my nature, but I'm sort of glad now that you gave me that medicine to make me sleep and am glad that Thor caught me, brought me back, and roasted my bottom with that spatula. There's no telling where I'd be right now if that hadn't happen." His cheeks flushed again. "I know you'll never be able to take Mother's place, and I don't want you to, but you've helped to fill some of the emptiness and have helped to take away some of the painful loneliness that I've harbored inside of me for a very long time."

Jane listened to Loki, her heart breaking for him to hear him going through so much pain. She moved to his side wrapping an arm around him. "Death is not an easy thing to accept, especially when the person you're missing was so dear to you. When my mother was taken from me, I was only eight, and I remember so many nights that I looked for her to just appear out of nowhere even though I knew she was gone. It's never easy to say goodbye. It gets easier day by day, though. You just have to hang in there."

Loki turned to Jane, sympathy in his eyes. “You lost your mother, too?” he said softly.

A sad smile weighed heavily on her face. "It was a long time ago now."

Loki nodded, reaching out to put his arm around Jane and pulling her closer to him. “How old are you now?” he asked curiously.

"Twenty-five...soon to be twenty-six in a month and a half." She smiled. "You're going to have to come crash my party."

Loki grinned at her. “Sounds like fun. I’ll be sure to do that, providing that…” He sighed, “Thor will allow me to come.”

She tilted her head to the side. "He'd better! He'd also better show up! What about you, Loki? I know the myths date you back a few thousand years, but I know they are less than accurate."

Loki nodded. “Some of your myths are actually correct, give or take. I’m a little over a thousand.” He smiled. “Actually, our time and years pass differently than here on Midgard. And Asgardians as well as…Frost Giants…age differently than humans. I’m not going to go into details because it would probably be way too complex for your human mind.” He paused, his face scrunching up in thought. “If my calculations are correct…I think my age would be the equivalent of fifteen or sixteen years old in your age years.” His face suddenly paled. “That would mean…you’re older than I am in your years.”

She laughed. "Well, that explains a lot."

Loki turned a puzzled look to her, not fully understanding. “It does?”

She just smiled wider, changing the subject, "So how old is Thor then?"

Loki thought a moment. “Um…maybe twenty or twenty-one? He’s four or five years older than I am.”

"So how many Earth years is that?" Jane pondered out loud.

Loki gave her a crooked smile. "I just told you."

“But…from what you were just saying about calculations…are you trying to confuse me?” Jane looked baffled.

Loki lifted an eyebrow. “No, why would you say that? Thor’s Asgardian age is the equivalent of twenty or twenty-one in your Midgard age, give or take. I could be slightly off, but that's the nearest I can come to."

“I’m just trying to discern how many Asgardian years are equivalent to Midgard years…you’re right, you’ve confused me thoroughly!” Jane laughed. 

“Ah.” Loki nodded, finally understanding what she meant. “I can usually work problems like this out in my head, but…my mind seems to be a bit foggy right now…due to the sickness or medicine or the fact that I’ve had my powers taken away from me.” He sighed. “But those figures are the nearest I can come by.” Loki frowned at Jane. "You're older than I am."

“That just means I have to doubly look out for you, I gather.” She smirked.

Loki crossed his arms over his chest and made a face. “I can take care of myself, thank you very much.”

“I’m sure you can, for the most part…you are capable for sure. Some of your choices, on the other hand, leave me to think you could still use a little bit of guidance here and there,” Jane commented matter-of-factly.

Loki rolled his eyes. “Let me guess. This ‘guidance’ of yours is a fancy word for pain applied to my backside.”

She chuckled. “Well, I _was_ trying to be nice about it, but to some degree, yes. Let’s hope words can suffice, though, eh?”

Loki grumbled at her words. "Words are fine with me. I don't want any more spankings."

“I don’t want to have to give you any more spankings, so let’s not have any instances where we have to go down that route, and we should be golden.” Jane gave him a wink.

Loki cut his eyes at her, fighting the urge to say something smart and snarky. Finally, he smirked, reaching out to take a piece of her hair between his fingers. “Maybe I should cut your hair off and replace it with pink,” he teased.

Her eyes widened. “Oh, now THAT would most definitely be an instance! As a matter of fact, just don’t even think about stuff like that!”

He chuckled. “Relax, I was just teasing. I would never cut your hair off.” His smirk returned. “I can’t help it. Like I said, everything I consider fun, everyone else says it’s wrong.” He frowned.

She nodded, giggling. “I thought as much, but just wanted to be sure.”

“Not to worry. I’m saving that prank for Darcy.” Loki smiled.

“I’d blister that bottom for that…I might even let her blister it!” She laughed.

Loki pouted. “You take the fun out of everything, you know that?” He huffed. “Darcy would do it, too. I already found that out.” His cheeks flushed at remembering the swats she gave him at the campsite. He glanced at Jane then turned back to the star chart. He suddenly remembered that he never told Jane about that little incident.

Jane looked surprised. “Really? When?”

Loki hesitated, shifting from one foot to the other. He quickly glanced over his shoulder at her.

“Uh…When we were camping,” he finally said softly.

She blinked, letting it sink in. “Oh, I see. I’m guessing sometime that night when Thor and I left you two for the night…sorry.”

Loki nodded. “She gave me two hard swats, one to each cheek. When she found out you spanked me for dumping her phone in the cooler, she was… upset... that she wasn’t the one to do the honors. So she saw fit to give me something anyway. It made me so mad. I didn't see it as being a punishment, just her bullying me like she did that entire night.” He sighed and looked down at the floor. “I wasn’t going to tell you.”

Jane sighed. “I’m really glad you two managed to sort that whole thing out. That was a nightmare!”

“Me, too,” Loki agreed. “Next time I’m sleeping in your tent, and Thor can have the one with Darcy.”

“I think I’m done camping for a little while thank you very much!” Jane exclaimed. The experience they had scared her off the desire to want to do so anytime in the near future.

Loki smiled. “I wouldn’t say that. If you get to come to Asgard, I’m going to take you on a real camping trip. No tents—just sleeping on the open ground, under the stars.”

She smiled faintly, feeling the likelihood of her getting to go to Asgard was slim, but she didn’t want to mention that to Loki knowing it would likely make him unhappy to ponder, so she played along. “That sounds wonderful, Loki.”

“I’ll give you some star charts for Asgard’s sky, and you can study them while we’re camping,” Loki said, grinning.

“Speaking of...” Jane turned to the star charts on her walls, “I know you were interested in my work, so let me tell you more about the stars that I have researched.” Seeing Loki was paying rapt attention, Jane went on to tell him more details about the charts that she had posted on the walls and answered many questions he’d asked concerning them. She was ardent about the topic showing just how much zeal she held for the subject. They talked for hours until Jane’s wristwatch beeped and she looked up with a grimace. “Well, you know what that means…”

Loki looked worriedly at her watch then back to her. He let out a whimper, shaking his head no.

She sighed shaking her head yes. “Just think, only four left to go. Come on, let’s get this over with.”

Before Jane could drag him out of the room by his arm, Loki turned to point at the charts on the wall. “May I take some of these to copy before we leave?” he asked.

Jane paused, thinking on what he said, and she decided to do better. Reaching into her desk, she pulled out a book that she’d put together of all the star charts she knew. She had all the images backed up on her hard drive and an external drive, so she could always make another. She was beaming as she held it out to Loki now. “Already done. Here, you can have a copy I made.”

Loki timidly took the book, looking at her. He smiled. “Thank you.”

She nodded, giving him a big smile. “You’re very welcome!” She waved him on. “Let’s go get this over with, and I’ll order us a pizza.”

At the mentioning of pizza, Loki eagerly followed Jane. He waited in his room until she brought him the medicine, of which he protested taking and eventually choked down as usual. Afterward, Loki settled down on the living room couch and looked through the star charts book Jane had given him until the pizza arrived. Dinner actually went by with laughter and conversation about a variety of subjects and Loki asking more questions about the charts in Jane’s book. When dinner was out of the way, the group ended the night with a movie marathon. Loki curled up next to Jane and fell asleep halfway through the last movie.


	27. Nurse Sampson

The next day started like any other for Loki: with medicine. But much to his delight, Jane had a plate of bacon waiting for him in the kitchen. After breakfast, everyone spent a lazy and mostly quiet day. Darcy and Thor settled in front of the TV to watch more movies, while Jane and Loki huddled at the kitchen table where Loki put finishing touches on his paintings. He finished his picture of the dolphins he had planned on painting for Jane and gave it to her. Loki painted until lunch, then afterward he approached Jane, wanting her to read some more of _Treasure Island_ to him.

But there was one thing bothering Loki. The subject of his medicine had come up at lunch. Jane excitedly commented that he was almost to his last bottle. While he was glad to hear the news, he was also troubled. This subject eventually led to Thor casually mentioning they would be leaving for Asgard the next morning, seeing that Loki was well enough to go back. Loki’s lunch did not settle well on his stomach. And when Jane was in the middle of reading to him, he found his thoughts wandering elsewhere and his eyes staring fixedly at Jane.

Jane looked up from her book, feeling his eyes upon her; she smiled, stopping her reading. “Are you okay, Loki?”

He shrugged. “I don’t want to leave tomorrow,” he said softly, tracing his finger over the bed covers.

Jane’s face turned down in a sad frown. “I know you don’t, Loki. I’m going to miss you, too.”

Loki held out his hand to her, his eyes moist.

Jane leaned over, grasping his hand and giving him a tender kiss on the knuckles before wrapping his one hand in both of hers. “Hey, it’s going to be okay. There are adventures to be had, right? I was talking to Thor last night in bed, and he said he planned to let you decide a quest to undertake once you got settled back in Asgard. You won’t be so bored hanging around my lackluster old townhouse.” Her own eyes were starting to mist over as she spoke.

Loki looked down at her hands then back at her face. He chewed at his lip, eventually nodding. He actually didn’t care about the adventures. Any other time he would have, but not now. Now all he wanted was Jane. He stared at the bed, looking like he wasn’t entirely there. He had to stay. No matter what, he had to stay longer. His mind wandered back to the plans he’d conjured up about faking illness. It was the only option he had. As long as he wasn’t found out and caught, it should go smoothly. Thinking about it gave him a little bit of hope. He just needed to think of how to approach it, and fast. He was running out of time.

"It sounds wonderful," he said at last. "But I wish you could be there with me."

She nodded grimly. “It won’t always be like this, I’m sure. Hopefully, your brother will be able to talk your father into it, then who knows what we could do, eh?”

Loki’s sad frown turned into a smile. “I’m not going to miss that medicine,” he said.

She chuckled softly. “I would gather you wouldn’t! I am glad that’s going to be over for you too as I know how much you’ve hated it. Nurse Sampson would be proud,” she teased.

Loki smiled shyly at the mentioning of the nurse. "I've never had a girlfriend before," he said softly. After he said it, he really wasn't sure where it had come from. It was more like his inner thoughts had managed to come out in the open. His cheeks flushed.

Jane smiled lovingly at him. "Did you like her well enough for a date? Maybe you could see her again the next time you come back from Asgard."

Even though he was sitting on the bed, Loki still squirmed in his seat. He gave a quick shrug. "She wouldn't want to go out with me."

"How do you know that? You'll never know if you don't ask," Jane chided.

Loki shrugged again. "No one's ever expressed interest in me back on Asgard. Why should mortals be any different? She'll find out how I am and then won't want to be around me anymore."

Jane swatted his knee. "Oh, stop! You are not as bad as you make yourself out to be. Besides, you've changed quite a bit, and either way, if you don't ever try, how are you going to know?"

"I'll think about it," Loki said. "Maybe Thor and I could come and stay awhile around your birthday and...maybe I could ask Sampson out then."

Her face lit up at the thought. "I think it'd be a good experience for you to at least try to ask her out. The worst that can happen is that she says no, right?"

Loki smiled and nodded. Then he wrinkled his nose. “I’m not too crazy about her being a nurse, though.” He shuddered, running his hands over his arms.

Jane laughed. “Well, would you have rather her not have been a nurse while you were there? She seemed to be the one nurse you looked forward to seeing.”

“Because she was the only one that was nice to me and didn’t stick me with needles or push medicine down me,” said Loki.

“Well…you know that she would have if she had to, and if she had, it wouldn’t mean she’d liked you any less. You realize that right? That those nurses weren’t trying to be cruel; they only wanted to help you,” Jane asked.

Loki played with his shirt, not saying anything. He didn’t care what Jane said. Shots and hospitals and everything related were evil and cruel. And he was sure that one nurse…Marlene…hated him. Now that he thought about it, he was glad that Sampson hadn’t stuck him with a needle. That would have been really embarrassing. He felt his cheeks flush at the thought.

She tilted her head curiously at Loki. “It’s just a job either way. It’s not a defining factor of what she is. You’d have to actually talk to her and get to know her.”

Loki nodded at her words. “I know, but I’m still worried that she will want to…do something to me.” He continued to play at his shirt, not looking up at Jane.

Her brow wrinkled. “Do something to you? Because she’s a nurse?”

Loki nodded.

Jane squeezed his knee. “I’m sorry you had such a bad experience, Loki. I wish I could say something to make you feel better about what happened to you. You’re feeling better now, though, that’s something, isn’t it?”

Loki smiled and nodded. "Yes."

Her smile widened. “Good to hear.” She looked down at the book in her hands. “You’re not really up for hearing any more of this, are you? If you’re feeling up to it, we could always go for a walk to the park? The fresh air might do you some good.”

He’d been cooped up inside the house ever since he came home from the hospital, so Jane’s offer was sorely tempting.

“Am I allowed to go out?” Loki asked. “I mean, I haven’t been out of your house since all of this mess started…”

She nodded. “I’m pretty sure that Thor will see you going for a walk with me as alright, but we’ll ask just to be sure. That is if you are feeling well enough to go for a walk?”

“Yeah, I feel fine, I guess,” Loki replied. He looked down at himself. “I just need to change into some clothes that aren’t my pajamas. Let’s go ask Thor first,” he said, getting up off the bed.

Jane set the book down on the nightstand and rose. “I’ll go ahead and ask; you get changed. I wanted to grab a quick shower anyway before we head out.” She glanced down at her yoga pants and stained T-shirt. “I definitely need a change before going out and about, too.”

Loki smirked, walking past her and stopping. “At least your pants don't show your butt.” He tugged at his pajama pants.

Jane departed quickly heading to speak with Thor. As she suspected, Thor was fine with the idea and wished them fun. He wanted Loki to get the chance to enjoy his last day on Midgard since he planned for their return to Asgard the next morning. Having confirmation all was well, Jane headed to take her shower.

After Jane left, Loki changed clothes, choosing jeans, T-shirt, and sneakers. After brushing his hair, he found that he still had some time before Jane was ready. So he stood in the middle of his room to think over things. He had decided to start faking his illness the next morning. That way it wouldn’t seem too obvious. He’d go to sleep and wake up sick—nothing out of the ordinary there, right? Their trip to the park would fit perfectly with it. Jane and Thor would probably think he caught something going out. It was going to be a challenge, though. Since he didn’t have his magic, he would have to make do with what he had available, which would be mostly his acting ability and cunningness and knack for lying. He wished he had magic. He could just utter a spell and give the perfect illusion he was sick that would fool anyone. Doing it any other way was very risky. But he had no other option.

The first thing he had to do was get rid of the thermometer so it wouldn’t tell Jane he didn’t have a fever. He stopped halfway to the bathroom. No, he couldn’t do that. It would be too suspicious. If Jane went in there to get it and couldn’t find it, she would begin to wonder. He wasn’t sure what he was going to do about that part. Maybe he could have an illness that didn’t have a fever? Was there such a thing? He wasn’t familiar with human sicknesses enough to know. He definitely needed to do some quick research…on the Internet, maybe? If he was going to properly pull off this charade where it was convincing, he would need to know more about human illness symptoms. Ones he could easily fake, that is. He knew a few already from the real illness he’d just suffered through, but he wasn’t about to make himself vomit.

Loki quickly made his way into the hallway, glancing around to make sure no one was coming. Jane’s laptop was in the living room, so he couldn’t use that. Thor and Darcy would ask questions. It was then he remembered seeing a computer in Jane’s office. He turned and made his way there, silently pushing open the door. He could hear Jane still in the shower, so that meant he still had time to do this. He peeked into the room. Good, the computer was already on. He sat down in the chair and took the mouse, clicking on the internet icon on the computer’s desktop. He typed in what he needed to know and brought up a multitude of symptoms: coughing, sore throat, sneezing, chills, aching, runny nose, fever, vomiting, stomachache, headache, cramps, earache, diarrhea, and so forth. The list of symptoms went on. Halfway through, Loki started feeling really sorry for humans. As his eyes quickly scanned over the list, he mentally took note of ones that seemed easiest to fake that wouldn’t require anything special to pull it off. Some of the symptoms he wasn’t sure about, so he quickly pulled up a description to read. He wanted to make this look good, but he still kept a mental note not to go overboard. The last thing he wanted was another trip to the hospital. The one thing that concerned him was the fever. He had had a fever when he was really sick, and it seemed to be a common symptom when it came to a lot of human illnesses.

Loki quickly glanced over his shoulder, toward the door, making sure Jane wasn’t coming. He could still hear water running in her bedroom’s bathroom, so he assumed she was still taking her shower. He turned back to the computer, chewing his bottom lip nervously. He brought up several more descriptions and decided on the symptoms he was going to use.

Jane came out of the bathroom fully dressed and drying her hair with a towel as she walked into the living room, not seeing Loki there, she walked back to his room, but the door was open, and the room was dark. Puzzled, she turned back around. “Loki?” She moved back down the hall, seeing Thor and Darcy playing cards in the kitchen and no one in the living room, Jane made her way back to her office thinking maybe Loki had come back to take a look at the star charts once more. The door creaked as she turned the knob.

Loki nearly jumped out of his skin at hearing the door opening, his hand quickly moving the mouse and cursor to close out the internet window having the symptoms. Under it was a window showing star charts that he had pulled up in case someone walked in on him. He turned around to look toward the door and saw Jane standing there. Unknown to him, his face looked the equivalent of a child caught doing something it shouldn’t.

Her eyebrows rose curiously as she walked into the room. It wasn’t hard to note the guilty look on Loki’s face. “Loki? What are…” She peered over at the computer screen to see the star chart as she came closer, “…were you trying to find something that wasn’t in the star chart book that I gave you? I was pretty thorough…” She leaned down to see it was just a basic description of Orion’s belt. She was confused, so she looked to Loki to explain.

Loki stood up, looking at the computer. “I…No! Yes, you were indeed quite thorough in your book. I-I was just...looking up a few things, doing more research, comparing notes. I-I hope you don’t mind.” He waved toward the monitor. “Your Internet doesn’t have as good of information as your book does, however."

Jane leaned away from the computer, puffing slightly at the praise. “Well, I did put years of work into that book, and star systems are kind of my thing and all.” She smirked. “Are you ready to go for our walk?”

Loki eagerly nodded, smiling. He stared at Jane a few minutes, feeling a twinge of guilt in the back of his mind over the fact that he had just lied to her. He swallowed and turned to slowly walk toward the door.

Wrapping her towel, she cracked it out, striking Loki’s bottom with a light, playful snap to get him moving a little quicker.

Loki yelped, jumping and throwing his hands behind him to shield his rear. He spun around to look at Jane then down at her towel, confusion on his face. His jeans helped to pad most of the sting, but it still didn’t feel comfortable. He gave his bottom a rub. “What was that for?” He walked toward the door, faster this time.

She laughed. “I’m just playing with you, although it did get you moving a little faster, didn’t it?”

Loki frowned, then stuck his tongue out at her as he walked into the hall.

Jane chuckled, following him out. The two continued out to the living room, and after saying a quick goodbye to Thor and Darcy, they moved out onto the street. Jane waved Loki to follow her, and he followed into step beside her as they turned to the left that led to the park Jane had mentioned to Loki. She took a deep inhalation, enjoying the fresh air and the afternoon sun. “This is nice, eh?”

Loki closed his eyes and lifted his face and allowed the wind to blow his hair. A small smile of contentment appeared on his lips. He took a deep breath and let it out, more than happy to be out of the confines of the house. He hadn’t realized how much he missed just being out in the open. Although he felt that he should have gotten his fill of it on their camping trip. He looked around him, taking in the atmosphere of the park. The path they stood on was lined with lampposts and shaded by large trees.

"Yes," Loki said at last. He stepped forward, noting that they weren't alone. He watched as other people walked about in other areas of the park. Some relaxed on benches, others walked dogs, and some jogged.

“You know, I should have brought a few slices of bread to feed the ducks! Oh well. Next time.” Jane turned to look at Loki now. “We can walk the path that goes around the lake, or we can go up that way to a group of picnic tables if you just want to sit and relax.”

Loki looked ill when he saw the lake, especially since he had the feeling the last lake had given him the illness. He looked around them before his eyes rested on Jane.

“No, I’ve been doing nothing but sitting…when the comfortable status of my behind has allowed. I’d like to walk for awhile.”

She nodded. “Fair enough. Come on then.” Jane waved him to follow her as she moved toward the path that led down to the lake. Jane saw her first and nudged Loki. “Hey look! Do you see what I see?” She pointed to a nearby bench where Nurse Sampson happened to be propping her foot, tying her shoe. She had a little Jack Russell terrier attached to a retractable leash hanging out of her pocket, which was sniffing around the bench.

Loki followed Jane’s finger, blinking when he caught sight of the nurse. She was the last person he expected to see there. He stood, not sure what to do. On one hand, he was excited to see her again, and in some place that wasn't a hospital. On the other, he suddenly felt nervous. He felt himself taking a few steps back until he felt Jane's hand push him forward. He looked back at her and she waved her hand for him to go on. He sighed, turning around to look at Sampson again. Then he smirked and ran a hand over his hair. Slowly, he walked toward her, stopping when he got to the edge of the bench.

"Hey," he said softly.

Nurse Sampson, taken off guard by the sudden greeting, shot up to look back in surprise. Her eyes softened, seeing who it was. “Oh, wow! Hey! Funny seeing you here. You look good…I mean, better than you did the last time I saw you.”

Jane stayed at the top of the hill, and when Nurse Sampson saw her, she just gave a goofy wave and walked away, far enough to give Loki a chance to talk without her hovering.

Loki looked behind him at Jane. Then he turned back to Sampson, giving her a grin. "Thanks. And, yeah, I was surprised to see you here as well."

“Do you live around here? I live down the road. It’s close to my job, so it’s pretty convenient. It’s a nice neighborhood, too.” Nurse Sampson made casual conversation.

Loki wasn't sure how to answer that. "Um...well...actually, I'm just visiting...my friend Jane, over there. She lives around here, down that way. My brother and I are staying with her."

Her eyebrow rose. “Oh. That’s terrible that you would get so sick on a visit!”

Loki shrugged. "Yeah. We went camping. I guess that's where I got...whatever it was."

She smiled. “I’m sure it’s probably the last thing you want to think or talk about, but from what I read on your chart, it was some kind of shelled bacteria. You’re lucky they caught it before it moved into your intestines fully…you’d have had the runs to go along with everything else. But that medicine we sent with you should have nipped that in the bud.”

Loki wasn't familiar with half the stuff she said. But if that last thing she mentioned was what he was thinking it was, he had read about it when he was looking up symptoms on the internet. It sounded awful. He cringed, glad that the illness had been caught in time. He cleared his throat and turned a smile to the nurse. "Yes, I'm glad that it didn't have a chance to get that far. And I hope I don't get sick again." Loki's muscles were tense, and he didn't know why. They weren't in the hospital, but he still felt a slight nervousness around Sampson. Something in him was still terrified and convinced that she was carrying a needle. He tried to relax. This was Nurse Sampson, the only nurse who hadn't given him any shots.

She took her foot off the bench, holding out a hand. “We never got to get formally introduced. I’m Sandra.”

Sandra. So Sampson wasn't her first name. A crooked smiled appeared on Loki's mouth as he reached to shake her hand. "I'm Loki," he replied, "Loki Laufeyson." After shaking her hand, he bent over and gave it a light kiss. "Sandra is a lovely name."

She tittered, a slight blush coloring her face as he kissed her hand. “And a gentleman I see. It’s nice to see there are still some of them left in this day and age.”

Loki smiled at her. He waved toward the bench. "Care to sit awhile?"

“Sure! I was just walking Trixy here.” She pointed at the little dog that was sniffing around in circles at Loki’s feet. She pulled the dog around to the other side of the bench and sat, giving Loki room to sit next to her.

Loki smiled at the animal. "Cute dog," he commented. He looked down at the bench. He was hesitant at first, thinking he might have made a mistake. He quickly gave his bottom a subtle rub, then turned to slowly sit down next to Sandra. It wasn't too bad. He still felt a sore twinge from the swats Thor had lavished on him, but it wasn't too bad. He squirmed a little at first until he got comfortable. He looked over and noticed Sandra watching him. His cheeks flushed a little and he flashed her a smile.

“Are you okay?” she asked, looking him over curiously.

Had it been that obvious? Loki swallowed. "Yeah, I'm fine. Why?"

She blushed a little. “Oh, nothing. I just saw you squirming about like you were in pain. I’m a nurse, so I have a sixth sense about that kind of thing usually. Don’t mind me.”

"Tight jeans," Loki lied. Actually, Sandra's sixth sense was right. He had been in a little bit of pain at first. But he wasn't about to say anything—definitely wasn't going to say anything about why he was in pain. He leaned back against the bench.

“So, you know what I do, what kind of profession are you in?” Sandra asked, quietly probing.

"Uh..." Loki hadn't counted on this. He glanced over at Jane, his mind working to come up with something...anything, "I'm an artist—painter." He beamed.

“Oh? Neat! I love art! I’m not an artist myself, but I appreciate it. Do you have a gallery then?” Sandra peered at him interestedly.

Loki moved his legs and played and nudged at the ground with the toes of his shoes like a restless kid. “Yeah, sorta.” He shrugged. “Back home.” That wasn’t a total lie, he thought. He did have a lot of his older paintings displayed in his room on Asgard, as well as a corner set up for his painting materials.

Sandra nodded. “Where’s home?” She smiled at him prettily.

Loki was about to say Asgard by default, but he thought better of it. Sandra was a mortal, and he knew that most mortals on Midgard saw Asgard as a mythical place. It was too early on to reveal that much about himself. She might think him insane. So instead he said the second place that came to mind.

“New York City.” He smiled, clasping his hands together in his lap. “What about you? Have you always lived here?”

Sandra’s eyes brightened. “New York! How exciting! I have a cousin that lives in New Jersey and works in Manhattan. I go up to visit her twice a year. As for anywhere else? I’m afraid not, but I’ve done a lot of traveling. Maybe the next time I travel to visit my cousin, I’ll come see you. Uh…if you’d want a visit from me that is!”

“Well, I _am_ pretty busy,” said Loki. “But my brother and I plan to come back here in a month or so.” He turned a sparkling smile to her. “I thought…well…maybe we could do something together then if you want?”

Sandra smiled, giving a light nod. “I think that would be nice.” She reached into her purse, pulling out a scrap of paper and a pen. Jotting her number on it, she handed it to Loki. “When you come back to town, feel free to give me a call. Maybe we can go catch a drink or a meal.”

Loki took the piece of paper, looking down at it, then he folded it up and stuffed it in his pocket. “Sounds wonderful.” He winked at her. Loki was suddenly hit with an uneasy feeling. If Sandra lived this close to Jane’s house, then he hoped Jane wouldn’t call her over during his fake illness. There was no doubt that the nurse would probably come over without hesitation. If she did, his act would be busted. He had to hide that phone number somewhere where Jane couldn’t find it when he got home. “So what is it like being a nurse?” Loki asked. “You…having to do all those…things…to people…” He swallowed, forcing out the next question. “H-have you ever given anyone a-a shot?” He picked nervously at his pants leg.

She laughed at Loki's question. "Shots? Well, I am a nurse, so I've given quite a few shots, but it's never fun for either me or my patients."

Loki shuddered. He was afraid she would give that answer. “Yeah, tell me about it,” he mumbled. He kicked a pebble.

"I'm actually usually in the pediatric wing. I just happened to be covering for a fellow nurse when you came in. I guess it was fate that we met, eh?"

Loki smiled shyly and nodded. “Pediatric?” he questioned.

She nodded. "Yes, I've always wanted to help children, so I thought going into pediatric medicine was a calling for me. Not that most healthcare doesn't also cater to the young and the old, children are just preferable, I think."

Loki studied Sandra closely while she spoke, noting her features and how pretty she was. When she had finished, he smiled. “Forgive me when I say that I don’t know much about medical stuff. Actually, I've never been to a hospital before now."

“I saw that in your chart; I have to admit that bit intrigued me! Did you grow up in a rural area before moving to New York City? I know some places like that only have local doctors and people have to get flown in to a hospital. That’s pretty scary to me,” Sandra confessed.

Midgard had doctors apart from a hospital? Loki’s eyes grew wide at that thought. “No,” Loki answered slowly, “I've never been to doctors or hospitals." At least not in her sense of the word anyway, he thought. Healers, yes, but not doctors.

This seemed to intrigue Sandra even more. “Really? How did you manage to get into school? That’s quite foolish of your parents not to have vaccinated you against Polio and the Measles! You have been seriously lucky, Loki!”

Loki looked at her like he didn’t understand. Vaccinated? He’d heard that word before…from Jane. Shots? His eyes widened when he put two and two together. He squirmed a little. “N-no. I've never been vaccinated. And my mother wasn’t foolish,” he simply said, a bit miffed. But he held his temper in check. Sandra didn’t know much about him and his family, so he wasn’t going to fault her. “She taught me everything I know.”

She nodded, a dawning realization coming over her. “Ah, so you were homeschooled then, I take it, and your parents are, like, hippies or something? Naturalists? It’s none of my business honestly, I was just curious.”

Jane had walked down, clearing her throat as she gave a small wave. “Hi! Um…I hope I didn’t interrupt anything.”

Loki glanced at Jane, smiling. Then he turned back to Sandra. “No, they are nothing like that. I’ve just never needed medicine.” He turned back to Jane. “Jane, this is Sandra.”

Sandra had already turned her attention to Jane, giving her a wide smile and a wave. “I remember you from the hospital. You were with the big, long-haired blond man, correct?”

Jane nodded with a smile of her own. “Yeah, he’s my boyfriend, and this,” She pointed at Loki, "is his brother. It’s nice to see you again.”

“Same to you! Is your boyfriend from New York as well then?” Sandra asked conversationally.

Jane looked puzzled. “Uh…no.” She looked down at Loki to clarify what Sandra was talking about.

Loki nervously looked up at Jane. He gave a slight shake of his head for her to keep quiet and said nothing.

Jane frowned, but she only responded with, “We’ve got to head back soon, Loki; I promised Thor and Darcy I’d make beef stroganoff for dinner when we got back.”

And medicine, Loki thought with disgust. He knew it had to be over four hours. “Okay,” he said, looking over at Sandra and giving her a smile. He leaned over and whispered to her. “I think you’re pretty.” He winked.

Sandra laughed a soft titter that showed what Loki had said both amused and pleased her. “Why thank you, Loki. Enjoy the rest of your visit. I hope to hear from you the next time you come back to town.”

Loki got to his feet, nodding. “You will.” With one last goodbye, Loki followed Jane down the path. He smiled from ear to ear.

When the two got out of earshot of Nurse Sampson, Jane turned a reproachful stare on Loki. “New York, huh? You know, Loki, lying is probably not the best method of getting to know someone.”

Loki’s smiled dropped. “But it wasn’t a lie!” he said in protest. “What did you want me to say? That I’m from Asgard? She would think I’m mad. Not all mortals are like you and Darcy.”

Her eyes softened. “Okay, maybe not, but don’t you think that’s dangerous to associate yourself with New York after…you know, the whole Chitauri invasion and your association with New York? She may have seen a news clip or two, you know.”

“It was the only place I could think of.” Loki lowered his gaze. “I know I have a bad history there, but I didn’t know what else to say. I couldn’t tell her I lived here because she might come and visit and Thor and I will be gone.” He sighed. “Okay, maybe it was a lie. But I plan to tell her where I’m really from someday. Just…not now. She needs to get to know me better first before I go telling her more about myself. I don’t want to scare her.”

“It’s okay, Loki.” Jane rubbed a hand gently on his back. “I understand that you need to keep some secrets for now. I was just giving you a bit of a hard time for it because I don’t want you to make it a habit is all.”

Loki didn’t say anything. “Oh! She gave me her phone number.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out the piece of paper. “She lives near here, too. And she said that she works in…pediatric…at the hospital.”

Jane seemed impressed. “Well look at you! See, I told you she liked you!” She nudged Loki playfully.

Loki grinned back at Jane. Then his grin fell a little. “She did worry me a few times, though.” He folded the paper and put it back in his pocket. “We got to talking about different things and she mentioned…vaccinations…”

Jane couldn’t help laughing out loud. “Oh, Loki, you are too funny. Most mortals need vaccinations to ensure they stay well. It keeps us from getting sick in the future.”

Loki didn’t see what was so funny about his newly discovered fear of needles, but he didn’t say anything. “Yeah, well…it makes me nervous, especially since I’m mortal now. I keep having this feeling that you're going to take me to get them since I've already gotten ill. At first, I didn’t know what she meant about vaccinations. Then I remembered you using the term when you asked me if I had had vaccinations while we were on our camping trip. It didn’t take me long to put it all together.” He frowned.

“Aw...” She hugged Loki tenderly. “It is something to consider if you plan to spend any time on Earth in…your new condition. I know you don’t like shots, but these shots would be given in your arm, so maybe they wouldn’t be as bad?”

Loki shook his head, a pout appearing on his face. “No.”

Jane grimaced, knowing it was a touchy subject. “Well, don’t worry about it now. Since you and Thor are heading back to Asgard in the morning, Earth diseases will at least not be a worry for you, and maybe when you guys come back to visit, Thor can get Odin to give you enough of your power back to ensure you don’t get any mortal sicknesses. He can do that, right?”

Loki thought a moment. “I don’t know. Odin is funny and can be stubborn. If it means giving me a little bit of power, he will probably be against it.” He frowned. "But I don't care what happens. I'm not getting any more shots. I don't care where they're given." He rubbed his arms with his hands. "With my luck, they'll probably end up sticking my rear again."

Jane just chuckled softly. “Well, you’re feeling much better now, so no worries about shots for now, eh?” They were approaching the house once more, and Jane hopped up the steps to hold the screen door open for Loki.

“But I still have that last bottle of medicine,” he said, walking forward. He hesitated before entering the house. He turned to Jane. “Can I have a…back rub tonight?”

She smiled warmly, giving him a nod. “I will, but I want to spend some time with Thor tonight, too, so it won’t be a long one.” As they entered the house, Darcy and Thor welcomed them home. Jane gave Thor a kiss, telling him that she was about to start dinner, and he followed her into the kitchen, kissing her neck and sharing affections.

Darcy looked up from the couch at Loki staring after them. She tapped his hand. “Earth to Loki! Hey? You wanna watch some TV with me?”

Loki looked at her then back to Thor and Jane. He sighed. “I guess…” He walked around and sat down on the couch.

She patted his knee. “I love hanging out with you, too, Loki,” Darcy teased.

Loki moved his knee away, sticking his tongue out at her. He looked toward the kitchen again. Was Jane going to cut his back rub short to spend time with Thor? It wasn't fair. He never liked it when Thor spent time with Frigga, and he didn’t like Thor spending time with Jane now. Sure, he understood Jane was Thor's girlfriend, and he was okay with that. But right now, he wanted Jane all to himself. He wanted attention and he wanted pampering. His face turned into a scowl. Even over the sound of the TV, he could hear Jane and Thor in the kitchen. Finally, he turned away, laid down on his side, and curled up, pulling his legs up onto the couch, his rear and feet practically against Darcy.

Darcy surprised him, grabbing his feet one by one to pull his sneakers off, and started to casually rub one of his feet, never taking her eyes off of the TV other than to glance at him and give him a soft sympathetic smile. She had noticed him staring at the couple and decided to pamper him a little to ease his frustrations.

At feeling Darcy's actions, Loki raised his head slightly to look at the girl, his eyes blinking in confusion. He wasn't sure what to think since Darcy had never expressed any interest at all in pampering him. He watched her a few minutes before laying his head down again, relaxing.

Darcy was pretty good, Loki soon discovered as she kneaded her thumbs into the balls of his feet stretching the muscles out. She didn’t comment as she did so, alternating between feet while they watched TV until Jane was calling them to the dinner table. She patted his leg. “I guess that’s it for now. If you want, I’ll do it more, later. We can watch a movie or something.”

Loki smiled at her. "I would like that." He hesitated, looking at her again. "Maybe more than just feet?" he asked softly.

Darcy chuckled, rolling her eyes. “Of course, your princeliness.” She smiled widely at him, giving him a wink.

Smiling at the prospect of two massages, Loki followed Darcy to the kitchen and took a seat in his usual chair.

The table had already been set, and Thor was already sitting at the table, a huge smile plastered on his face.

Jane was just finishing up dishing out portions as Darcy and Loki were meandering up to the table.

“Smells great, Jane,” Darcy cooed as she took her seat.

Loki had to agree. After the afternoon's events, he was starving. "I saw Nurse Sampson in the park this afternoon," he casually brought up. "Actually, her first name is Sandra."

Thor smiled. “Very nice, Loki!”

Darcy whistled. “Uh-oh, Loki and Sandra sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I…”

Jane cut her off with a glare. “Darcy…”

Darcy frowned. “You’re such a killjoy!”

Loki rolled his eyes. "She _did_ give me her phone number." He smiled. "And when we come back, we're going to do something together."

“Woo!” Darcy whooped. “Go Loki, go Loki!”

Jane just put a hand over her face, embarrassed by Darcy’s childishness but still smiling because it was kind of funny.

Thor was nodding his approval. “This is good, Loki! I’m happy for you!”

Loki beamed. "It's nothing serious," he explained. "I mean, we hardly know each other."

“But she gave you her number!” Darcy squealed, bouncing about excitedly almost as if she was the one who had gotten the number.

Jane giggled. “They did seem to get along well, and she wants to see him again the next time he comes to town.”

Thor chuckled, seeing the growing flush on Loki’s cheeks as the women gushed.

Loki grinned as he moved the food around on his plate with his fork. He looked up at Thor. “Thor,” he decided it best to change the subject before he melted out of his chair, “speaking of us coming again…Jane’s birthday is in a month and a half. Could we…maybe come around then and stay awhile?”

Thor brightened. “We will certainly do our best. I wish to be here to celebrate with Jane as well. Who knows, maybe we can use this as a reason for Father to bring her to Asgard?”

Loki’s face brightened as he turned a grinning face to Jane. “I’ll be sure to dress nicely for your birthday, and even wear my helmet.”

Jane beamed as she looked around the table. "I'm looking forward to seeing you all dressed up for me."


	28. A Pampered Princeling

The rest of dinner went by well with the conversation focusing on Jane’s birthday as well as other activities of interest for whenever Thor and Loki returned. When the dishes were all cleared away, Loki went to his room to wash up and change into his pajamas. When he was finished, he waited for Jane to come in to give him her promised back rub. While he waited, he took Sandra’s phone number out of the pocket of his jeans and placed it in between the pages of the star charts book Jane had given him and replaced the book back in his knapsack. He rolled onto the bed to read until Jane arrived.

Jane showed up at Loki's door with a soft knock. "Loki? Are you ready for company?"

Loki looked up and smiled, rolling over on his stomach. “Yes, as long as that company doesn’t include medicine.”

Jane chuckled, looking down at the bottle in her hand and shaking her head. "It's the last one, Loki; you know it's time to get it over with."

He looked up at the bottle in her hand, shook his head, and turned back to his book. “No,” he said flatly. Not only was he sick of the stuff, but he also knew the last bottle meant they would be going back to Asgard.

She walked over closer, gently pulling the book out of his hand. “Loki, don’t be so difficult. Take your medicine now.”

Loki shook his head no and turned away, putting his head under his pillow.

Jane sighed, sitting in the chair that she’d brought in earlier to read to Loki. “Loki? Why won’t you take your medicine for me? You’ve done so well lately, why are you picking now to be so stubborn?”

Loki pulled his head out from under the pillow to look at Jane. He really didn’t want the evening to end badly, especially since he had two massages to enjoy. He smiled and stretched his hand out for the bottle.

Relief overtook her, and she smiled warmly at him, handing over the bottle.

Loki took it, sitting up. He uncapped it and drank it down, cringing and coughing. He handed the empty bottle back to Jane.

She placed the empty bottle on the nightstand and climbed across Loki to sit at his side as she started to work on his shoulders. “That’s it, Loki. You don’t have to take that stuff ever again! Aren’t you happy?”

“Yes, very,” he replied. “Although I think I’ll still taste it for a long time after this.”

Jane laughed. “That’ll fade, too, just give it time. For now, just relax while I rub your back.” Jane continued to work across his back doing her best to be thorough since she knew it was going to be cut short to spend time with Thor.

“Mmm...” Loki closed his eyes, enjoying the massage. “I’m going to miss this. Although I am curious to know how well Darcy does."

“Darcy?” Jane seemed surprised.

“Yeah,” Loki said, a little surprised himself, “We’re going to watch a movie and she said she’d give me a massage. She already massaged my feet before dinner, while we were watching TV.” He smiled.

Jane looked surprised. “Are you sure you don’t have your magic back? It sounds to me like she’s under a spell!” She laughed. “Seriously, though, that’s great to hear you two getting along so well. Much better than the way you started that’s for sure!”

“Don’t I wish I had my magic back,” Loki replied gloomily. He smiled. “Yes, she's under a spell. My adorable puppy face spell," he teased. "Darcy isn't so bad after all. A bit annoying sometimes, though."

Jane giggled. “That puppy face will do it every time! Darcy can be a bit…eccentric, but she’s a good friend. She’s loyal to a fault once you get past that hard-shelled exterior and the sarcastic remarks.”

Loki nodded and stretched out longer when Jane hit a good spot.

“You like that, I gather?” Jane stated amusingly as she continued massaging the areas Loki seemed to groan in pleasure at. 

“Yes!” Loki rolled his shoulders. He turned his head to look at Jane, smiling. "What are you going to do without me here?"

She smiled sadly. “Other than miss you? I guess I’ll return to my research. I’m already behind on my reports to S.H.I.E.L.D., but I can get them caught up pretty quickly.”

Loki moved restlessly at the mentioning of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Jane noticed, but she didn’t remark, knowing that the Avengers and S.H.I.E.L.D. held a sore spot for the man, but it was how she made her bread and butter, so she couldn’t complain. She just continued to massage in silence.

“Do they ever come here?” Loki asked softly.

“Hmm? Who? S.H.I.E.L.D.?” She asked almost absently.

“Yeah,” Loki played with part of the covers, “And…the Avengers.”

She sobered. “Uh…well, not here…usually. I have had a couple odd visits. One from Captain America who personally delivered a Christmas gift to me last year… He knew Thor couldn’t make it, so he didn’t want me spending it alone. Steve is a very sweet man. Other than that, Tony Stark had invited me to a party he’d hosted and sent a limo to my house to pick me up and drive me out to the airport where he had a personal jet fly me to his estate. It was a nice party. Ask Darcy, she raved about it non-stop for a whole month!”

Loki only nodded then smiled. "I think I'd rather pass on asking Darcy. I don't really want to hear her talk the rest of the night. When she's massaging me, I want to relax and watch whatever movie we choose."

Jane gave him a playful swat on the butt. “You are so mean!” 

Loki squirmed in response to the swat, then he smiled.

Jane shook her head. “She does talk a lot, but you’re still mean to say that.”

Loki’s smile dropped at the scolding. He turned sad eyes up at Jane.

“Don’t give me those puppy dog eyes, Loki, I’m getting immune to them I think.” She gave him a smirk.

A sparkle of mischief came into his eyes and the smile returned. “You can never be immune to them.” He reached out to playfully poke at her leg. "You know. I never found out if you're ticklish." He smirked.

She was, but she did her best to hide it, jerking back a giggle when he poked her. “Cut that out, you!” She, in turn, turned to tickling him as a defense.

Loki giggled, quickly turning over on his back and lifting a leg to shield against the attack. Then he realized he’d left his belly vulnerable.

Jane was quick to take advantage of this uncovered weakness, attacking his stomach with tickling fingers laughing and dodging Loki’s attempts to avoid her prying hands.

Loki laughed out loud now, bringing his knees up to try and shield his stomach. He reached out a hand to tickle Jane’s side.

She shrieked as Loki hit a sweet spot, making her body spasm to get away from his tickling hand.

“So you _are_ ticklish!” Loki’s eyes shone with mirth. He moved around to get at her again, a wide grin on his face. He kept his knees drawn up to keep his stomach covered.

“Stop! Ah!” She wriggled about seeing he was getting the better of her. She reached out and swatted his rear good-humoredly. 

Loki’s eyes widened and he dropped his feet down to cover his rear. “That’s cheating!” he said indignantly.

She laughed. “Oh, is it? I didn’t know there were any set rules!” She collapsed next to him, obviously tuckered out from their game as she panted, “Truce! You win, okay!”

Smiling, Loki scooted closer to her and put his head next to hers. “I’m going to miss you, Jane,” he whispered sadly. “Thor never gives me attention like you do.”

She ran a hand through his hair, giving him a sad smile. “I’m going to miss you, too, Loki. Try to remember that Thor tries. He’s not the best at empathy, but it’s not from lack of care. You will see me again…if I have to find a way to summon the rainbow bridge, I promise you.”

Loki smiled, a few tears escaping down his cheeks. He closed his eyes and snuggled next to her. He chuckled. "I still remember your reaction to me when we first came here."

She laughed, too, stating with reminiscence, “Ah yes, it’s amazing how much time can change things.”

"I bet you never expected this, did you?" said Loki, smiling. He opened his eyes and gave her his puppy eye look.

Jane stretched out on her side, laying her head on her arm as she smiled. "No, I can't say I ever thought things would work out the way they did. Are you surprised?"

Loki nodded. "More than I care to admit. Actually, I expected to be hiding out in another realm by now."

Jane snickered. "Yes, before Nyquil valiantly thwarted you."

Loki frowned, his cheeks turning a hint of pink at remembering everything that happened that night. "Most humiliating night," he mumbled. "First time you saw me get spanked. And to think you gave Thor that dreadful spatula." He shyly looked at Jane. "W-what were your thoughts when you saw all of that? Not exactly what you would find in your mythology books." His cheeks turned a bit redder.

She grinned cheekily. "I'm not going to say I wasn't shocked, but I will say it was well deserved...hence the reason I gave Thor that spatula. You can't even begin to know the worry your brother carried around while looking for you. It was eating him alive."

Loki moved uneasily as he studied Jane’s face. A hint of guilt washed over his face. But he didn’t say anything. His thoughts suddenly drifted to what he planned to do in the morning. “W-would you use that spatula on me yourself?”

Her eyebrow rose in curiosity. "Well, I used my hairbrush, what do you think?"

Loki’s mouth worked nervously, although he tried not to show it. He had to keep his goals in focus. And that was spending more time with Jane and getting more attention and pampering. Why was he worrying anyway? He wasn’t planning on getting caught. He lazily kicked at the bed with his feet.

“Wh-what are your thoughts on me…sucking my thumb?” he said softly, his cheeks turning red again. He thought it better to change the subject, even if he still felt uncomfortable about bringing up the subject of his thumb sucking around Jane. “I-I never meant for you to find out about that. But now that you know…I’m curious.” He looked at Jane again. “I appreciate you not making fun of me or teasing me about it.”

She shrugged. "It's not as bad as some habits I've seen. Although I'd try to limit it as I've heard it'll mess up your teeth."

Loki looked ashamed and a bit hurt by her comment. He turned away, not able to bring himself to look at her. “I only do it when I sleep. Besides, I’ve been doing it ever since I was little and my teeth are fine,” he mumbled defensively, thinking Jane was going to make him stop.

"It's your body, dear, and you're right, your teeth look fine, so it looks like you have nothing to worry about," she did her best to reassure him.

Loki turned his head around to look at her again, a hint of a smile appearing on his lips. “Just don’t tell the Avengers or S.H.I.E.L.D.”

She chuckled. "Now why on Earth would I do that, silly?"

“I’m not saying you would. I just felt that I needed to let you know I don’t want them knowing.” Loki looked over at the clock beside the bed. “I guess I need to go into the living room. I’m fairly certain Darcy is waiting for me.” He grinned. “I also can’t wait to see what pampering she will lavish on me. She owes me a lot, so I will determine tonight whether or not she has fully paid me.” He moved to sit up. “I must say, she did a very good job massaging my feet earlier. So I am eagerly looking forward to what else she can do.”

Jane rolled her eyes, snorting. "I love you, Loki, but you are so entitled, you know that?"

Loki smirked and winked. "I can stay here a bit longer if you're not done with me yet." He lay back down.

She wagged her finger. "Oh no, you're not reeling me in for a longer massage! Spoiled brat!" she teased.

Loki scrunched his face up at her. “By the way, I love you, too, Mommy,” he teased back.

She laughed. "You'd better! If you didn't, I might cry." She winked at him, giving him a hug. "Alright, you, I did tell Thor I was going to go see him, so go get spoiled by Darcy now, and I'll see you for breakfast in the morning."

Loki smiled and wrapped his arms around Jane, returning the hug. He then rolled off the bed and got to his feet, grabbing up a couple of blankets and a pillow. When he had gathered everything he needed, he tugged his pants up and headed out the door and down the hallway to the living room. Slowly he walked up to Darcy, smiling.

Darcy perked up at seeing him. "Oh good; you're just in time! I just put the popcorn in the microwave and was getting everything set up." Two sodas were set up on the coffee table and the movie Darcy had planned for them to watch was already in the machine, just awaiting the user to press the play button.

Loki nodded, letting his blankets and pillow slip onto the couch. He gave his pajama bottoms another tug. He was still a bit leery about being alone with Darcy after their last encounter, but he forced himself to relax. “I just want to get one thing straight before we start this,” said Loki, looking at Darcy. “You can massage whatever part of my body you wish except for the obvious off-limit place.” He pointed at his crotch. “Touch that or get your hands anywhere near it and you will die a slow, painful death.”

Her lip curled. “Eww. No,” she snorted, shaking her head as she rose to collect the popcorn from the beeping microwave. “I wouldn’t touch your junk with a ten-foot pole, Loki, so you’ve got nothing to worry about!”

“Just making sure.” Loki smirked. He sat down on the couch, pulling one of his blankets into his lap.

Darcy huffed. “Pfft! You are such a trip, Loki.” She pulled the popcorn out of the microwave and placed it in a big bowl, grabbed a couple of paper towels, and headed back to the couch, slapping the popcorn bowl down in Loki’s lap and tossing one of the paper towels on his chest. “Okay, your princeliness, just to give you a heads up, popcorn and soda first, and then you can get your massage. No offense, but I’m not touching your feet before touching the food that’s going in my mouth…just saying.” She smirked, flopping on the couch and starting the movie.

Still smirking, Loki leaned over toward Darcy and made kissing noises with his mouth.

She grabbed a couple of pieces of popcorn and chucked them at his face. “Cut that out! You’re going to ruin the movie,” she teased.

Smiling, Loki settled back against the couch, putting a few pieces of popcorn in his mouth. Darcy was much too fun not to pick on. But he decided not to push her too far. She had been kind enough to offer to massage him, after all.

The first part of the movie went by without further interruptions from Loki, aside from him tossing a few pieces of popcorn at Darcy to get her back. When they had finished eating the popcorn, washed their hands, and returned to the couch. Loki grinned from ear to ear at Darcy. “Where do you want to do this?” he asked. “Couch or floor?” 

She laughed. “Well, I guess that depends on you, feet or back? If you want feet first, we can sit on the couch, if you want a back rub, we can get on the floor. Although, you might want to wait until the movie is over for the back rub.”

Loki nodded. “Feet now, back after the movie. Sounds good to me,” Loki said, sitting on the couch, and then laying down. “Since you did such a good job on my feet earlier, I’m eager to see what you do elsewhere.” He made himself comfortable, covering up with a blanket and putting his pillow under his head.

Darcy smiled back proudly as she took a foot and pulled it into her lap. “It’ll be one of the best you’ll ever get!”

Loki’s curiosity perked and he raised an eyebrow. “Must be if you suggest I wait until after the movie.” He jerked his foot when Darcy hit a ticklish spot.

Darcy went to work, and just as before, she manipulated Loki’s foot muscles to the point he wanted to moan in pleasure. She really was as good as she said.

Once Darcy got started, it was hard for Loki to concentrate on the rest of the movie. He snuggled his face into his pillow and smiled. Now he knew why Darcy suggested waiting until afterward for the back massage.

Darcy alternated between feet, making sure to cover all areas from his toes to his heels, she even massaged his calves as the movie progressed and finally finished.

“Why is it that I never knew this about you, Darcy?” said Loki, getting up off the couch and kneeling down on his knees on the floor, taking his blankets and pillow with him.

Darcy moved down to his side looking rather smug. “Well, you never asked now, did you?”

Loki just rolled his shoulders at the question. “Sorry,” he said softly. “I know we got off to a rough start, but I want you to know that I hold no ill feelings for everything that happened on this visit. And I hope you feel the same. I feel like we haven’t been able to get to know each other all that well.”

Darcy nodded her agreement. “I’m sorry I put you through a bunch of crap, too; I think we just rubbed each other wrong at first, but now that the walls are down we can just chill with each other. It’s good. We’re good. Now come on,” She waved him down to the floor, “Bring your blanket and pillow and prepare yourself for some awesome!”

Loki grinned, moving in front of Darcy. He spread the blankets out on the floor under him and lay tummy down, putting his head on the pillow and getting comfortable. Once settled, he offered his back to the girl.

Darcy moved down his back in slow methodical motions, running her hands into the muscles and tenderizing them with short burst karate chops to loosen Loki’s back up. She treated every inch of his back with deliberate maneuvers made to dig into the pressure points and overall relax him. She could have been a professional masseuse, Darcy was so good. 

Loki’s eyes rolled up until they eventually closed as he snuggled deeper into his pillow. He hadn’t realized how tense he had been until Darcy started working on his back. He assumed the whole visit, as well as everything he had been through leading up to it, had twisted his body in knots. He smiled in complete bliss as he felt her hands work.

“Do you do this professionally?” he finally got out between moans.

She laughed. “No, but I’m glad you think so. I take pride in the work I do. I’m glad you like it.”

Loki squirmed, wiggling his butt a little as he continued to enjoy the feel of her hands moving over his back. He turned his head over to look and smile up at her.

She beamed down at him as she said, “I got to be so good because my mother has always had severe back, neck, and foot pain. I started giving her massages as a young child, and I guess I just got pretty good at understanding where she hurt and applying that to other people.”

“Ah.” Loki nodded. “Well, if you keep on the way you're going, I’ll probably fall asleep.” He continued smiling up at her. He rolled his shoulders. “Plan on doing any other areas?”

Darcy smirked. “If you want, we can go in your room, and you can pull your sheets down, so if you do fall asleep, I can just tuck you in for the night.”

“What? You’re not going to carry me to bed after I fall asleep here?” he teased.

Darcy chuckled. “Yeah sure, I could drag you by your little toes!” she teased back, grabbing one of his pinky toes for emphasis.

Loki giggled, pulling his foot away. He pulled himself up to sitting. “I think I would enjoy this experience better in a bed anyway. This floor is too hard, even with the blankets.” He gathered up the blankets and his pillow and got up, walking down the hallway toward his bedroom. Once there, he pulled the covers back and flopped down on his tummy, awaiting Darcy.

Darcy put the dishes in the sink, washed her hands, and made her way into Loki’s room, bringing surprise ice cream sandwiches from the freezer for them both.

Loki sat up and accepted the treat. “Thanks,” he said with a smile. He studied Darcy with bright, curious eyes as he nibbled at the ice cream sandwich, pondering over the change in her. Even though everything was patched up between them, he still felt rather awkward around her, not at all as relaxed and open as he felt when near Jane. Maybe it was because he felt like he barely knew her outside of what he had learned while being around her. He also easily saw Jane as a mother figure, too. When he looked at Darcy he wasn’t really sure what he saw—perhaps an older sister? He’d never had a sister before.

Darcy flopped down beside Loki as they both ate their ice cream sandwiches. “Mmm…I love these things entirely too much! I swear I’m going to get fat!”

Loki smirked at her. “They are quite good. I bet Volstagg would love them.”

Darcy chuckled. “Yeah, that’s the big fat guy, right? See, my point exactly!”

Loki continued to smirk amusingly at the girl. “So, is there anything you wish to know about me other than what I've already told you?” he said. “And before you ask, no, the sick, outlandish goat story involving me in your hideous mythology books is not true. I’m a lot smarter and more refined than that.” He continued nibbling at his sandwich. “If I cry like a baby over getting a shot in my butt, you know I would never do anything that stupid.” His cheeks flushed when he realized what he had just said. He glanced at Darcy.

Darcy chuckled. “I don’t believe most any of that stuff now after meeting you and Thor and actually spending time with you guys. You seem like regular dudes…well, not ‘regular’ per se, but you get my drift. I’m always open to anything you’d want to tell me. You can tell me whatever comes to mind while I massage your back, and you can ask me anything in return. It can be, like, a truth or dare without the dare part.” She giggled.

Loki finished eating and moved into lying on his stomach again. “Sounds good, but don't expect me to tell you my embarrassing stories like I told Jane.” He made himself comfortable. Realizing his pants were coming down, he quickly reached behind him and pulled them up.

“What?! You told Jane embarrassing stories, and you’re barring me? No fair! You should totally tell me embarrassing stories you haven’t told Jane, and then we’ll be even.” Darcy laughed as she climbed on the bed and started massaging Loki’s back.

“And if I don’t, you’ll do what?” Loki smirked.

Darcy smirked back, pulling her hands away from his back. “If you don’t, I guess I’m just gonna have to throw the towel in.” She gave a fake yawn. “Oh yeah, getting tired. I must need some sleep since there’s just nothing lively enough that’s gonna keep me awake.” She, of course, couldn’t keep the impish grin off of her face.

Loki looked back at her with concern. Then he frowned. “You’re as bad as Jane,” he said. Then he smirked. “I’m impressed.” He laid his head back down. “Okay, you win. Oh, and before you get started again, yes, I _am_ ticklish. And if you can, massage my legs, too, while you're at it. But don't you dare get any ideas about pulling my trousers down." He eyed her out of the corner of his eye, not entirely trusting her.

Darcy only rolled her eyes, moving to massage his legs. “Okay, okay, now go on and spill it!”

“I’m not exactly sure I want to tell you my embarrassing stories, knowing how you acted over finding out my little secret,” said Loki, enjoying the feel of Darcy's hands moving over his legs. “Besides, what’s more embarrassing than you witnessing me getting my butt tanned?”

“Oh, I have no doubt that you can think of something. Don’t hold out on me now, a deal is a deal!” She gave him a playful swat on the bottom. “What’s more embarrassing than me seeing you get your butt tanned? How about me tanning it for reneging on our deal?” Darcy jested.

Loki jumped at feeling the swat, his eyes widening. He whimpered, his head snapping around to look at her. “Y-you wouldn’t. Y-you can't!” He didn’t like the idea of Darcy spanking him…at all. As far as he was concerned, she had no business doing it, especially after the swats she had given him while they were camping, which he felt leaned more on the bullying side.

Darcy gave him a deadpan look. “I’m only kidding with you, Loki. Geez, I barely tapped you.”

He laid his head down on the pillow and stared at her. Finally, he cracked a small smile. “Sorry. I just…remember the last time you swatted me…”

She smirked. “You should know better by now that I’m not going to ever do that to you again…unless you really, REALLY make me mad!” She laughed.

“I’ll take that as a challenge.” Loki smiled at her. “And for your information, I never said I wouldn’t tell you any embarrassing stories.” He scooted closer to her, offering his back to her, pointing at it. He was too tired to get worked up, and since he and Darcy were on good terms now, he didn't want to do anything to upset that balance. Besides, he wanted to be pampered badly. He wanted to feel more of what Darcy had to offer.

Darcy giggled, moving over to his back as she laid her expert touch to them. “And here I thought you wanted me to massage your legs? You are such a fickle god, Loki.”

“I want you to massage both. Just start at my neck and shoulders and work your way down.”

“Awful demanding now aren’t we, your princeliness? Let’s hear some stories already,” Darcy teased.

“I’m not demanding. I just feel tense.” Loki rolled his shoulders. “My body hasn’t felt right since the Hulk slammed me into Stark’s floor.” He blushed and looked back at Darcy.

Darcy sighed, moving up to start working on his shoulders. “Alright, alright.”

“I just told you the first story,” he said, hiding his head under his pillow.

“What? Oh no! You can’t tell me a story I already know!” Darcy poked his side playfully.

Loki giggled at her poking him. “Y-you already know about that?” His face paled.

Darcy huffed. “The story about the Hulk? Yeah, Tony Stark couldn’t stop talking about it at that party Jane and I went to; he even has video clips. Seriously man! I even felt bad for you, and that was before I got to know you and just thought you were trying to kill everyone.”

Loki hid his head under the pillow.

Darcy’s face scrunched up in a frown. “Hey, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that to come out like it did. I can be a little too blunt sometimes.”

Feeling Darcy’s hands working his neck and shoulders, Loki relaxed and sighed. He pulled his head out from under the pillow, laying it on top instead. “It’s fine,” he said. “It’s just…that moment is not one I’m proud of, as you can understand. Although it did help to break the Chitauri’s hold on me, so I guess something good came out of it.”

“You’re lucky you were a god in that moment because wow! Any mortal would have been killed within the first smash. The Hulk is freaking terrifying! The fact you survived at all is amazing, dude,” Darcy complimented.

“Yeah, well, the Hulk is a bully.” He huffed. Not wanting to dwell on the moment anymore, he decided to change the subject. “Okay. A story you haven’t heard.” Loki smiled blissfully at the massaging. It was hard getting upset when he had such wonderful pampering being lavished upon him. “There was one time when I was really young and I hadn’t learned to fully control my shapeshifting ability. I got a bad case of the hiccups. And every time I hiccupped, I would turn into a random animal.”

“See now, you see that as embarrassing, and I see that as rad beyond belief! I totally want to shapeshift! That is too cool!” Darcy admonished.

"I never said shapeshifting is embarrassing. It's cool when you get the hang of it and can control it. Randomly shifting to different animals without meaning to every time you hiccup isn't cool. It's embarrassing and scares the maids and servants."

Darcy giggled. “I don’t know, scaring the maids and servants sounds like part of the fun.”

Loki turned a mischievous smile to Darcy. "Oh, that part was fun." His smile turned into a grin. "Hm... One of the stories I told Jane was the time my pet dragon, Colborn, got scared of Thor's laughter and crawled down into my trousers." His face began to flush.

“Oh no, don’t tell me it bit you on the butt!” Darcy squealed.

Loki didn't know how he had gotten roped into telling embarrassing stories about himself again. He would have rather just spent the night being pampered without turning six different shades of red.

"Like I told Jane. Tiny dragons have hooked claws that dig into anything they crawl on. And when they become frightened or startled, they breathe fire." Loki's face turned brighter red. "Not something you want going down your trousers."

“Ah! Okay! Forget I asked!” Darcy was blushing for Loki, squirming about as if she were actually experiencing his embarrassment as he told her the tale.

A small smile appeared on Loki's mouth at seeing Darcy squirming. "He ruined my trousers and I had to go to the healing room for burns."

“No! Ah! Stop!” Darcy covered her eyes as she squiggled about, blushing fiercely.

"What?" Loki chuckled. "You wanted me to tell you some of my embarrassing moments. If it was up to me, I would just lay here, enjoying the pampering you're giving me without remembering my weaker moments."

“Fine, tell me something fun then. I don’t think I can continue massaging when you’ve got me all squeamish!” She giggled.

"You'd better continue massaging," said Loki, giving Darcy his puppy eyes.

Darcy smiled, moving back over to massage Loki’s back. “Okay, okay! I am, now go on! Don’t leave a girl hanging!”

Loki was glad for the continued massage, but Darcy’s reaction wasn’t what he was hoping for. He thought for sure she would 'aww' or tell him he was cute or something.

“Why don't you ask me a question?" he finally replied, squirming at the blissful feel of the back rub.

Darcy pondered, “Why don’t you tell me a memory that you have of something that happily surprised you.”

Loki's brow furrowed as he thought. "Mother was teaching me magic—teaching me how to make illusions. I remember staring intently at her closed hands, and when she opened them a bunny hopped out. I was five at the time, and seeing that rabbit thrilled me so much."

“Aw; that’s so sweet. So your mom was a magic user too then, huh? Is she the one who taught you everything you know?” Darcy asked curiously.

"Yes to both questions," Loki replied. "She taught me magic so I could feel like I fit in since I've never been a warrior or athletic like Thor...and the others."

"I can see why you were so close then. I've read about the realms of the dead, is that real, or is that also mortal mumbo-jumbo?"

Loki looked at Darcy, not sure why she was bringing up that subject. He just assumed she was curious to learn more about the realms. “Um…I’ll admit that I’m not familiar with every part of your earth myths. I’ve read some of them, enough to know I don’t want to read more. But, yes, there is a realm of the dead—Niflheim, also called Hel, which is ruled by Hela.” He held up a hand. “No, she is not my daughter.”

"But you could travel there, couldn't you? I mean is it possible?" Darcy questioned.

Loki stared at Darcy. “You mean, bring my mother back?” His eyes fell to the bed. “I had thought about that, actually. Yeah, it is possible to travel there.” Loki admitted. “But…”

"But?" She studied him intently.

“Odin and Thor wouldn’t like it,” he said with a frown. “I'm still a prisoner under Thor's care. If Odin ever found out that I snuck off to bring Mother back, he would tan my rear so bad it’d feel like I sat on a hot forge.”

"Does Thor feel that way? I mean, maybe he'd want to bring your mother back, too? Even if you don't bring her back, at least you could talk to her, right?" Darcy questioned.

Loki shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess I could talk to him about it.” He contemplated her words. Just getting to talk with her again was enough to tempt him into bringing the subject up with Thor. "Odin didn't let me go to her funeral," he said softly and quite randomly.

"All the more reason he should let you go say your peace!" Darcy stated passionately.

Loki nodded as he tried to keep tears from coming out. He sighed, not wanting to discuss the topic anymore that night.

“Jane and I were discussing age earlier today,” he said, changing the subject. “How old are you?” he asked curiously.

"Nineteen. Why?" she asked curiously.

“No reason,” said Loki, frowning. “Everyone is older than I am in earth years.”

"How old would I be in Asgardian years?” Darcy quipped.

“Couple thousand, maybe?” Loki smirked. "Still older than me."

"And still looking good!" She playfully preened.

Loki scrunched his face and stuck his tongue out at her.

Acting quickly, she reached out and caught his tongue between her knuckles, giving it a playful squeeze before snatching her hand away, laughing. "Ew!"

Loki was taken by complete surprise by the action, rising up to rest on his elbows when Darcy had let go. He hung his tongue out and frowned at her. “Serves you right,” he said. “Ack! I hope you had clean hands.”

She cackled. “I gather that depends on how clean your back, legs, and feet were!”

“Your hands were clean then.” Loki smirked. He caught Darcy giving him a look. “For your information, I bathe frequently, unlike Thor.”

She rolled her eyes. “You are such a turd! Your brother has bathed every day since he’s been here, Loki. At least that I’ve been here.”

Loki smiled smugly at her. “Enough about Thor." He stretched out more, getting comfortable. "You don’t happen to know any butt massages do you?” he teased, giving his rear a wiggle. He really did love picking on Darcy.

She, of course, gave him a playful swat. “Is that the kind of butt massage you’re looking for?” She laughed.

He shot her a glare. “No,” he replied flatly. “I’ve been 'massaged' that way too many times. I’m finally to the point where my rear is pale again. And I want to keep it that way.”

She sighed, giving him an over exaggerated look of annoyance as she actually massaged the sides of his butt. “Yes, your princeliness; I do just what you say, master!”

Loki jerked and clinched his butt cheeks at feeling her touch. He looked back at her, a bit confused. “I was just joking with you when I said that about the butt massages. I didn’t think you would…actually... _do_ it.”

“Gah! You are something else, you know that?!” She stopped massaging him and gave him enough of a push to make him teeter on the bed, on the verge of falling off, as she laughed at Loki having to jerk to steady himself from rolling off the bed.

Loki just grinned as he steadied himself and got comfortable again. “I shouldn’t have said anything. That actually did feel good. My poor rear’s been through so much lately.”

She snickered. “The only good attention that butt has seen in a long while I bet!”

Loki cut his eyes at her. “You’re amused over everything that’s happened to me, aren’t you?”

Her smile broadened into an impish grin. “Maaaaybe.”

Loki frowned, settling down onto his pillow. “I suppose my secret also amuses you.”

“Your secret?” she mused, giving him an eyebrow wiggle. She assumed he meant the fact that he was spanked or sucked his thumb, but she wasn’t going to give it away for free, wanting to hear him say it aloud to her.

“You should know since it got both of us in trouble while camping.” He frowned. “Me sucking my thumb.”

She smirked. “Well I wasn’t sure if you meant that or the fact that you still earn yourself over the knee, bare bottom spankings. Which is also a secret I would think, right?”

Loki visibly cringed. “Yes, most definitely,” he said softly. His heart did a flip as he turned to look at her. “H-how did you know they’re…bare bottom spankings?” Loki was puzzled since he knew Darcy had never seen him bared for one of his spankings.

“Uh…actually, I didn’t. I’d just added that in for flavor, but well uh…yeah.” Darcy blushed a bit, having garnered a little more information than intended.

Loki blushed, too, when he realized he’d unintentionally given her private information. “What? Me getting my trousers pulled down for spankings doesn’t amuse you after all?” He sighed. “Doesn’t matter. You already know about everything anyway. You might as well know the rest of the details, too. I’ll have you know that Jane packs a mean hairbrush.” He absently reached back and rubbed his bottom at the memory.

“Ah, man! I used that hairbrush the other day!” Darcy sneered, put off by the thought it had been smacking Loki’s rear end days prior.

Loki’s face turned smug as he managed a satisfied smile. “I guess some good came out of my suffering after all.” He winked.

Darcy folded her arms and grimaced at Loki. “So uncool!”

“So?” Loki continued to smile. “What are you going to do about it?”

Darcy scoffed. “Oh, I won’t have to do anything. With your propensity to get in trouble, I’m more than sure you’ll end up doing yourself in.”

“Are you saying I’m a troublemaker?"

Darcy lifted an eyebrow. “Hey, you’re the one who branded yourself with the title trickster…I’m just saying…”

“I happen to like that title. It just means I know how to have fun.” Loki smiled.

“Have fun…and get into trouble.” Darcy gave a curt nod of affirmation and a smirk.

Loki scrunched his face at her, then reached out and poked her leg. “Ask Jane. She’ll tell you I’ve been a good boy.”

She smiled. “I’ll give you that; you have improved quite a bit since when we first met. Things have gotten smooth around here. Do…do you think your dad is going to give your powers back to you when you go home tomorrow?”

Loki’s smile disappeared and he looked down at the bed. “I doubt it,” he said softly.

Darcy frowned, too, now. “Well, I hope he does reconsider…even if you are a big turd half the time.” She playfully punched his shoulder in hopes of lightening the mood.

Loki smiled, rolling over on his side and scooting closer to Darcy. He stuck one of his thumbs in his mouth and played with part of the bed covers with his other hand.

Darcy sighed, laying her head and chest across his back as she played with his hair. “It’s going to be okay. You’ll see.”

“At least I don’t have to take that horrid medicine anymore,” he said around the thumb in his mouth. "I don't ever want to be sick again."

She nodded as she absently began braiding his hair. “Yeah, being sick is never fun. The ordeal you went through I can imagine has left you never wanting to go back to a hospital again! It sounded pretty awful. Sorry, you had to go through that.”

Loki smiled at the feel of her playing with his hair. He nodded at her words, taking his thumb out of his mouth. “Your medical facilities on this realm are dreadful. And the people in them are obsessed with needles.”

She chuckled. “You just had a bad run of it, man. I’ve been to the hospital a couple times and didn’t have to get any shots in the rear. This one time I had to get my tonsils out, and I was even given ice cream as part of my recovery. How’s that for medicine!”

Loki frowned. “That’s not fair. Those nurses just hated me.” He laid his head back down and put his thumb back in his mouth.

She snorted. “Well, not one of them. Can we say, Nurse Sandra? Uh oh!” She laughed, bouncing about giddily and poking him in the side.

Loki rolled his eyes. But he couldn’t help a smile and a giggle at Darcy poking him. “Yes, one. And I'll have you know that I'm not fond of her being a nurse. It makes me nervous."

“Dude, she’s not going to up and jab you with a needle! She can’t administer shots outside of the hospital without losing her license, so there’s really nothing for you to worry about, goofball.” Darcy just laughed at Loki, shaking her head in disbelief.

“Oh,” said Loki. “She said she worked in…pe...pediatrics.”

Darcy smiled. “A children’s doctor…how fitting for you,” she teased.

Loki frowned, lifting a knee to nudge Darcy. "She's not going to find out about my secrets. Right now, she knows that I'm a gentleman artist who lives in New York."

Darcy gave him a deadpan look. “Really, Loki? Liar, liar, pants on fire much?”

Loki scowled. "I'm a gentleman and I'm an artist. Those aren't lies. So I told her I live in New York. It's better than telling her I live in Asgard and her thinking I'm mad. I plan to tell her where I'm really from someday. Just not right now. Not every mortal is like you and Jane. Some have to have the truth handed to them in small pieces, otherwise, they freak out. I can just see Sandra's reaction if I had told her that I'm the god of mischief and I live in Asgard." He reached over on the dresser and picked up his hairbrush and handed it to Darcy. Since she was playing with his hair, she might as well brush it, he thought. He always did like when Frigga brushed his hair for him.

She stared down at the brush suspiciously. “You weren’t spanked with this one, too, were you?”

Loki rolled his eyes. "No, of course not." He blushed. "Not yet anyway." He shot her a warning look. "And you'd better not make use of it back there other than brushing my hair." He lay down on his stomach again.

“Keep up that kind of attitude, and I’m not making any promises,” she warned, giving a little bit of a yank to his hair as she undid the braid she’d done to proceed with brushing his hair.

Loki couldn't help the whimper that slipped out, wincing as Darcy yanked his hair. He moved his hands to shield his bottom.

This satisfied Darcy that Loki had seemed to take her seriously, and she left the threat to hang in the air as she silently started to brush his hair.

Loki relaxed at the feel of the brush moving through his hair. Slowly, he moved one of his hands away from his bottom and stuck a thumb back in his mouth. Maybe if he kept his thumb in his mouth he wouldn't end up getting himself in trouble. But just to be safe, he kept his other hand protectively over his rear.

Darcy just shook her head, smiling at Loki and his reactions to her as she brushed his hair. “You know, your hair is super soft. What do you Asgardians wash your hair with?”

Loki gave a light shrug, taking his thumb out of his mouth. "Soaps and special bath oils," he replied. Finally, he slowly removed his hand from his bottom and fully relaxed to the feel of Darcy's brushing. Unknown to him, though, his hand managed to pull his loose pajama bottoms down part way.

Darcy had noticed, and, thinking she was being nice, helped Loki by giving them a quick tug to put them back in place.

Loki's eyes widened at feeling his pants pulled up. His cheeks blushed and he looked up at Darcy. He rose up slightly, leaning on one elbow and looking from his rear to Darcy, a perplexed, questioning look on his face.

Darcy shrugged. “What? They’re too loose and were showing plumber sideways smile, so I thought I’d help you out.”

Loki wasn't sure what that term meant, but he could pretty much guess since it was more than obvious. His cheeks flushed and he nodded shyly. "Thanks," he said softly. "I need to get them fixed when I get back to Asgard. Most annoying." He gave an embarrassed smile. "Although I do find them comfortable for when I'm...uh...feeling unusually warm back there." He lay down again, his cheeks blushing redder.

Darcy smiled at the blush in his cheeks and the explanation Loki gave. "Happy to help you out."

Loki glanced at Darcy. “So…uh…did your parents ever…well…you know…”

Darcy 's eyebrow rose. "Ever...? Ever what? Spank me? Uh...sure, back when I was little, and once when I was twelve and got caught sneaking into the movie theater without paying." Her cheeks reddened.

Loki smirked.

She chuckled softly. "Does it make you feel better that you're not the only one?"

“Yes,” he replied. “But I was mostly amused over how much like me you are—sneaking in without paying.” Loki wagged a finger at Darcy. Then he grinned and winked. “I like you.”

Her smile widened. "You would have gotten a kick out of the way I kicked the usher's shin when he'd grabbed me and my sister to haul us to the box office. I would have gotten away, but I couldn't leave my little sis behind."

Loki’s grin widened. “You and I should hang out sometime.”

Darcy chuckled. "I thought that’s what we’re doing right now.”

Loki shrugged. “Yeah, we are. But I meant stirring up a little bit of trouble.”

Darcy's eyes lit up. "Oh really?" Her grin turned mischievous. "And what have you got up your sleeve, Loki?"

“I dunno. Maybe we could take Jane’s van and go down town, sneak into the theater. Or maybe we could go to another state. I’ve always wanted to visit that one city…Las Vegas, I think it’s called?”

She laughed. "Are you serious?"

Loki gave a shrug. “Why not?” He grinned. “That way I wouldn’t have to go back to Asgard.”

Darcy's brow furrowed. "Loki, you know how upset Thor and Jane would be if we just jacked her van and went joyriding to another state? I mean, I get it, you don't want to go back, but this plan you're slinging is going to crash and burn, man."

“Plans only crash and burn if you get caught,” he said as he continued grinning.

Darcy sighed, shaking her head. "Neither of us has any money, Loki. How exactly are you planning to pay for gas and food? You haven't thought this through at all."

Loki shrugged. “We’ll improvise,” he replied. “If I had my magic, I could create Midgard currency. It’d be illusions, but it would last long enough for us to get away.”

Darcy shook her head. "I don't think that's a great idea, Loki. Number one, you don't have your magic, so that is a bust, and two, I'm not stealing Jane's van to go all Thelma and Louis with you. Now we can go somewhere and have some fun. I'm down for that, I've got a little cash, so we aren't totally destitute."

“Let's keep that in mind. Perhaps for when Thor and I return.” Loki winked at her.

Darcy bobbed her head, acting silly. "Sounds like a plan, Stan! That'll give me a chance to save up some money anyway, so we might actually be able to go to Las Vegas or something!"

Loki laid his head down on his pillow, still grinning. "So what are some of your interests?"

Darcy stiffened, doing her best to sound like a commercial as she teased, "My favorite color is blue! I like long walks on the beach, romantic dinners by candlelight, and tropical paradise getaways!" She laughed, "Come on, Loki, that's a really broad question! I'm totally no good at those. I will say, I'm Jane's intern, so you know I dig planet gazing. I also adore shopping as you should well know by now, other than that," She shrugged, "it just depends on my mood." 

Loki smiled up at her. "I was just trying to get a better understanding of you."

She smirked, giving him a wink. "And I'm just trying to give you the best hard time that I can!"

Loki reached out and snatched Darcy’s glasses off.

“Hey!” Darcy squalled in alarm. “What’re you doing with my glasses?”

“Nothing.” He grinned, holding them out of her reach.

Darcy grabbed at her glasses, moving around the bed attempting to regain her property. “You give those back right this instance, Loki Laufeyson! Or so help me, I’m totally going to use that brush on you! I may be near-sighted, but I can see enough to tan your hide!”

“No, you wouldn’t.” Loki chuckled, pushing his hand and the glasses under the second pillow next to him. “Give me a kiss on the cheek and you can have them back.”

Darcy bristled. “I can’t believe you! Oh, you make me so mad! Give them back, Loki!” She held out her hand demandingly, pursing her lips at him.

Loki shook his head no and kept his hand and the glasses hidden under the pillow. He grinned, pushing her outstretched hand away and pointing at his cheek. “Kiss first.”

Shaking in her fury she screamed, “Fine!” Like a cobra she struck his cheek with a lightning fast kiss. “Alright! I did it, now give them back!”

Grinning from ear to ear, Loki pulled his hand out from under the pillow and handed Darcy her glasses. “I knew you wouldn’t spank me.”

As soon as she’d gotten her glasses back, Darcy jammed them back on her face, pointing a finger at him. “Oh, you’re getting a swat, buddy. It’s just going to come when you least expect it!” She gave him a curt nod as significance of a foreboding promise she planned to fulfill.

Loki chuckled, not taking the girl seriously. “It was just a harmless joke, Darcy. I was just playing around with you.”

Darcy smiled, darkly. “One swat will also be a harmless joke…when it happens.” She chuckled, wanting to cause the man worry.

Loki smirked. He knew she wouldn’t do it. He lay his head down on his pillow. “Since you said something about long walks on the beach, maybe we can go someplace tropical. Do you think Jane would take all of us on a trip somewhere?”

Darcy huffed settling down next to Loki. “Dude, she gets paid pretty well, but she’s not made of money. You can’t just up and go wherever you please.”

Loki frowned. “I used to could.”

Darcy scoffed, “Oh yeah? Well, maybe when you get your magic back, you can whisk us all away on a tropical adventure…until then, narrow your scope to Texas and maybe a couple states around it. It’s a pretty big state.”

Loki pouted. Finally, he held up the hairbrush in front of Darcy’s face as a hint to brush his hair again.

She grimaced, snatching the brush and twirling her finger for him to turn around for her. “You are so freaking spoilt!”

Loki smirked. "Admit it. You like me that way."

Darcy rolled her eyes. “Just turn around, your princeliness.” She had to admit she did enjoy her new nickname she’d given him.

Loki did as she said, moving into a position where she could easily get at his hair, but still laying on his stomach.

Darcy, seeing him on his stomach awaiting pampering, gave him a quick swat with the hairbrush, hard enough to make an impression, but light enough not to cause real pain, just enough to smart. “Even for the glasses!” She cackled.

Loki yelped, throwing his hand back to rub at the stinging spot. He turned a scowl to Darcy. He never thought she’d actually go through with doing it. “I thought you were going to brush my hair!” he griped. He reached over and grabbed up the second pillow and put it on top of his bottom. “I don’t understand why everyone wants to spank my butt.”

Darcy laughed. “Because you’re such a brat!” She moved back to brushing his hair now, feeling satisfied that she got her justice.

“I’m not a brat!” Loki snapped irritably, sticking his thumb into his mouth. He leaned into the brushing.

“Oh yeah, because that reaction right there no brat has ever done!” Darcy chuckled as she continued to brush his hair.

In reply to Darcy's comment, Loki kicked the bed with his feet and snatched the pillow off him and hugged it to his body as he continued sucking his thumb. He was enjoying Darcy brushing his hair, but he was getting sleepy and was border lining tired of Darcy's company. He still couldn't understand why she had felt a need to pop him with the hairbrush just over a little harmless fun. He didn't hurt anyone and he gave the glasses back. It wasn't fair!

Noticing Loki was getting tired, she laid the brush on the night stand. “Alright, your princeliness, that’s enough pampering for one night; I’m going to retire. Sleep well, and I guess I’ll see you in the morning.” She rose off the bed and leaned over Loki, surprising him with a soft peck on the cheek. “Goodnight, Loki.”

Loki looked up at Darcy, blinking in surprise. "Goodnight," he mumbled. "You said you would tuck me in."

She smiled down at him. “That I did.” She reached over and pulled the blankets up around Loki, pulling them up to his shoulders and smoothing them out around him. “How’s that?” She chuckled.

Loki nodded. "Thank you."

Darcy ruffled his hair lightly, giving him a small smile as she picked up the ice cream wrappers and made her way back out to the living room, closing Loki’s door along the way with a soft click.

When Darcy was gone, Loki leaned over and turned the lamp off and lay back and snuggled under the covers. He sighed. He half expected Jane to come in with a bottle of medicine. In a strange way, he was going to miss it. Well, miss seeing Jane anyway. He was definitely not going to miss the medicine part. He was glad that was over with. He sighed again and drifted off to sleep.


	29. Faking Sickness

Loki woke early the next morning. On his own, without Jane waking him up with a medicine bottle stuck in his face. It felt odd. He yawned and snuggled back under the covers, not wanting to get up. He didn't like what today was. Then he remembered that he was supposed to be sick. That gave him some hope. Getting to spend another day with Jane is what he wanted. Maybe if he stayed in bed and slept late it would add to the effect. That sounded good to him. He nuzzled his face into his pillow and stuck his thumb back in his mouth. He hadn't planned on actually going back to sleep, but he soon found himself drifting off.

A knocking at Loki's bedroom door woke the trickster up again. He startled awake at hearing Jane's voice on the other side. He swallowed, preparing himself to go into his sick act. If he could convince Jane right now that he felt bad, then he pretty much had it made.

"Come in," Loki croaked out in the best hoarse voice he could muster. He lay back under the covers.

Jane made her way to Loki’s bedside. “Hey there, sleepy head, it’s already past ten in the morning? I would have thought you’d have been up hours ago.” Seeing Loki wasn’t rising, Jane looked at Loki with concern. “Loki? Are you all right?”

Loki let out a soft groan, turning over to face Jane. He coughed a few times. "I don't feel good," he said in a strained, hoarse voice, wincing. "My throat hurts and so does my stomach."

Jane looked concerned, placing her hand on Loki’s cheek and then forehead. “You don’t feel hot? Your stomach hurts and you have a sore throat?” Jane tutted. “Ow, Loki, open your mouth, I want to see if you have swollen tonsils.”

"N-no, I don't seem to be hot," said Loki as he nervously watched Jane turn on the bedside lamp. He hesitated at first, then he did as Jane said and opened his mouth.

Jane tilted Loki's head up to see better as she peered down his throat. "I don't see anything, but I'm not a doctor."

At the word 'doctor', Loki shut his mouth and shrank away, turning sad eyes up at Jane and whimpering.

Jane sighed, looking concerned. "You just rest, Loki, I'll go get you some ice water, okay? It might make you feel better."

Loki nodded, coughing a few times and wincing and holding his stomach.

Jane gave him a sympathetic look as she went to fetch Loki the water. She brought back some Tums and a cough drop. "Here, these should help settle your stomach and these you can suck on to help your throat."

Loki accepted the glass of water, but wrinkled his nose at the medicine, turning a look to Jane that said, ‘Do I have to?’ He coughed several more times.

Jane shrugged. "You don't have to take these, but they are not bad tasting like that other stuff."

Loki looked at the proffered medicine again. Thinking it might be best for him to at least attempt it just to make his act look genuine, he slowly reached out a hand and took one of the Tums and put it in his mouth.

She smiled. "It's not the best, but nowhere near as bad as that other stuff, eh?"

“No, it’s not,” Loki admitted hoarsely. He drank some of the water. “Thank you.” He coughed and winced then turned a worried look up at Jane. “Y-you’re not going to take me back to the hospital, are you?” He thought he would get an answer to his main concern early on.

Jane grimaced. "I can't say for sure yet; it's really going to depend on how sick you are."

Fear briefly washed over Loki’s face, almost making him lose his focus. Hearing Jane’s answer told him he was going to have to tread carefully. He drank more of the water, set the glass on the night table, put one of the cough drops in his mouth, and settled back into his pillow. He lifted a hand up to Jane.

Jane ran a hand through Loki’s hair, sitting beside him and grabbing his hand. "I don't understand; I thought you were getting well...maybe our walk in the park wasn't such a good idea?"

“No, I enjoyed it,” said Loki softly. “I want to do it again.” He moved closer to Jane, resting his head on her leg.

"What you need is to stay in bed and rest; I think maybe you overdid it," Jane stated sternly.

Loki frowned up at Jane, not forgetting to cough a few times. He winced, putting his hand up to his throat.

"Is the cough drop not helping?" Jane gave him a sympathetic look.

Loki almost swallowed the cough drop by accident at hearing Jane's question. Was it supposed to take away a cough? “I guess not,” he replied hoarsely. “Did you tell Thor that I’m not feeling well?”

"No, he was in the shower when I went out to fetch you the ice water, but I will now. I'll be back, alright?"

When Jane left, closing the door behind her, Loki sat up in bed, a smirk playing across his lips. So far so good, he thought. Even without a fever, Jane thought he was really sick. He spat out the cough drop in its wrapper and folded it up to toss on the night table. Yuck, he thought. True, it wasn’t as bad as the medicine he’d just got through taking, but he still didn’t like the taste. He drank some of the water to get the taste out of his mouth. Now that his plan was going fine, he wasn’t sure what he’d do to pass the time. Jane had made it clear that he wasn’t to get out of bed. He frowned. He never expected that. He turned to the dresser where the stack of library books was. He could always read, he thought when he wasn’t getting pampering from Jane. He’d hoped for another walk in the park, though. And what was he going to do about food? Loki put a hand to his stomach. He was already getting a little hungry. Maybe he could somehow convince Jane to give him something.

Loki settled back against his pillow, pulling the covers up around his chin. 

Jane had approached Thor in her bedroom; he was putting on his Asgardian attire to return home. Seeing her approaching, he smiled, but when he saw the concerned look on her face, he turned back to her, alarmed. “Jane? You look troubled. Is something the matter?”

“It’s Loki; I went in to check on him, and it looks that he’s fallen ill again. It’s not the problem that we went to the hospital with, from the sounds of it. He says that his throat is sore and that his stomach is upset. I’m really hoping that taking him for a walk in the park didn’t get him sick with his immune system already low.” Jane looked guilty.

Thor pulled her into a hug. “Even if the walk may have triggered his illness, you only took him on the outing to feel better. We will let him rest until he is well once more so that it doesn’t worry you, okay?”

She hugged him tighter. “Thank you, Thor; that will put my mind at ease. I’m going to go bring him some oatmeal, and see if his stomach can handle that.”

Thor kissed her goodbye, and Jane scurried off to bring Loki some oatmeal and a glass of apple juice. She knocked lightly on his door. “I brought you a little something, Loki.”

Loki looked up and toward Jane. He coughed several times. "Yes? What is it?" he said, clearing his throat and wincing.

“It’s a little something to make your tummy feel better. I want to withhold from anything greasy like bacon and eggs, to make sure it doesn’t make you sick.” She brought in a small tray with the oatmeal, a slice of toast, and apple juice, setting it on the nightstand before helping Loki sit up against the headboard to put the tray on his lap.

Loki grimaced at the choice of foods before him, turning a look to Jane.

She pouted at him. “Trust me, you don’t want to upset your stomach further, do you? I know what’s best here since I’ve been sick enough to know better.”

Loki didn’t say anything as he lifted a spoonful of oatmeal and let it drip off to plop in the bowl. He didn’t dare blow his acting this soon. And he was hungry. Better the oatmeal than nothing, he guessed. Sighing, he began to eat slowly. He cringed over the bland taste of it.

Jane sat there with him patiently while he ate, talking about some of the work she planned to catch up on to let him rest, but that she would be in to give him a massage and lunch when she’d gotten caught up.

Loki ate quietly, for the most part, listening to Jane and only asking questions or replying when necessary. He was supposed to have a sore throat, after all, so he thought it best that he act like he had one. He didn’t like that he would be alone for several hours. But then again, it did leave him the chance to finish some of the library books.

Once Loki had eaten his fill, from what was left, Jane gathered it up to take away. Loki obviously didn’t like the food, but Jane only took it that his stomach was still hurting him. She gave Loki a kiss on the temple smoothing his hair back. “Try to get some more sleep. I’ll bring in a bell for you to ring if you need something, okay? That way you can save your throat and stay in bed.”

Loki nodded, smiling.

True to her word, Jane returned a few minutes later with a small porcelain bell. "This was a trinket my grandmother had collected and passed down to me. Never saw any use other than decoration up until now."

Loki carefully took the bell, looking it over curiously before nodding. When Jane planted another small kiss on his forehead and left the room, Loki put the bell on the night table, knowing he'd never need it. He got up and silently made his way to the bathroom for a few minutes and then came back to bed. He grabbed a book from the dresser and lay down under the covers again. He spent his time quietly reading until lunchtime. And it was the sound of Jane's footsteps down the hall that made him quickly close his book and slide it under his pillow. He pulled his covers up to his shoulders, laid his head down on the pillow, closed his eyes, and stuck a thumb in his mouth, pretending to be asleep.

Jane gave a soft knock as she entered, whispering sweetly as she walked over to his bed, "Hey there! I got you some nice chicken noodle soup. It should make your throat feel nice."

Loki slowly opened his eyes, taking his thumb out of his mouth. He moved around to a sitting position, leaning his back against the headboard. At least lunch sounded better than the ghastly dry, bland oatmeal he had for breakfast, he thought.

"Did you get your work done?" he said hoarsely.

She smiled. "I'm a little behind overall, but I figured I would come hang out with you while you ate. I'm going to go grab my sandwich and be right back." Jane ran into the kitchen and brought a plate back with her to eat lunch with Loki. As she settled in her chair, Jane spoke again, "I thought I'd give you a massage for a while, and when I am done, I'll get back to work until dinner time. We should have the rest of the evening to relax. Are you feeling any better?"

"Not really," Loki said with a shrug. "I'm looking forward to the massage, even though I now know Darcy gives the best ones." 

"Oh, does she!" Jane stated in mock jealousy. "Well, as long as you like mine, I guess I'll have to keep giving them to you." She smiled playfully.

Loki smiled at her. "Of course, I still like yours. You tickle me while you're doing it. Darcy didn't. Although Darcy did give me a good butt massage." His smile turned into a playful smirk, withholding that the whole incident had been the result of Darcy misunderstanding his joke.

Jane blinked in surprise. "She what!? Oh, my!" She laughed. "How did you manage that one?"

Loki's smirk turned into a grin. "Actually, I was joking with her about it, and she took me seriously until I told her I was just messing with her. But now I wish I hadn't said anything. It did feel good. I never realized how tense I am in that area."

Jane continued to laugh, quite amused by the whole thing. "If only I had gotten to see that. I'm going to have to tease her now about coping a feel. I can imagine it's going to turn her three shades of red!"

“Just do it when I’m present because I want to see it.” Loki turned his grin to Jane, giving her a wink.

She smirked. "She's coming by tonight for dinner. We'll have to tease her for sure!"

Loki’s grin grew wider at the plan. “I like the sound of that,” he whispered, giving another wink. “Am I going to be able to eat with you tonight? I'm tired of being in here."

Jane nodded. “You can come out to the table to eat, but you should get back to bed right after. I want you to get better, and the more time you spend resting, the better you’re going to feel. You can keep a blanket wrapped around you when you come out if you’re feeling chills.”

Loki nodded. He was glad he’d be able to come out and eat with them, but he didn’t like the part about going back to bed afterward. He was pleased that his plan was working, but he hadn’t expected to spend it all in bed. He looked at Jane again. “Can I come to your office and watch you work after the massage?” he said, hopeful. “I won’t bother you.” He finished eating the last of his soup and handed Jane the empty bowl.

Jane sighed, shaking her head. “I don’t think that’s wise, Loki. I think you going out to the park might have been the reason you’ve gotten so sick now. Wandering about may have weakened your immune system as it is now, so taking extra precaution to keep you bundled up and resting I think is for the best,” she added with a small frown. “I really don’t want you going back to Asgard feeling unwell. I won’t be there to take care of you, you know?”

Loki frowned. “But I’m not going to the park. I’ll still be here in the house. What’s the difference between sitting in bed resting and sitting in a chair in another room? I can bundle up in blankets and sit in a chair next to you.” He gave Jane his puppy eyes. "Please? It's not going to tire me out watching you work."

She seemed hesitant but finally caved. “Okay, but I want you wrapped up, socks on your feet, and you stay seated and resting.” She moved closer to him now, lifting his chin and just looking him over. “You look like you might be feeling a little better, yes?”

Loki’s eyes blinked. He pulled away from her hand, coughing about five times and wincing. “My throat still hurts. My stomach...it feels a little better, but it starts hurting again every now and then.” He suddenly sneezed, which took even him by surprise momentarily, but he was elated that it came at just the right moment to add to his acting. “That’s new.”

She looked concerned. “You’re not feeling worse in some ways, are you? We might need to schedule you for a follow-up at the doctor’s office if you are getting worse.”

Fear surged through Loki as he studied Jane’s face. He uttered a whimper. “N-no, don’t.” He swallowed. “I’m not feeling worse.” He wasn’t sure now if he’d be able to hold up this act for a week. But what else could he do? If he moved into worse symptoms, a doctor visit was waiting for him. If he dropped the act now and confessed, he knew Jane and Thor both would put his butt in a sling. What had he gotten himself into? He shook his head, a few tears managing to streak down his cheeks. "I don't want to see any more doctors."

Jane wiped the tears away with a gentle swipe of her thumbs. “Loki, if you’re feeling worse, you have to tell me about it. I really hope your fear of a doctor visit isn’t going to have you trying to act well to get out of it.” She gave Loki a worried look, peering over him once more.

Worry was etched on Loki’s face. “I’m not feeling worse. Honest!”

Jane regarded him with a small nod. “Alright. Just making sure, okay? Let me go ahead and take this to the kitchen.” She placed her plate on the tray with Loki’s dishes. “When I come back, I’ll give you that massage, okay?”

Loki nodded, watching as Jane left the room. He sat there for about a minute, nervously chewing at his bottom lip. Then he moved around and positioned himself on his stomach to be ready for Jane’s return. He pulled the covers back, past his bottom, so Jane could have access to his back. He sighed, laying there thinking over everything.

Jane wasn’t gone long, coming back in Loki’s room and climbing onto his bed. Wordlessly she began to gently massage his neck and shoulders. She tutted, “Poor thing. You’ve really been through the ringer, haven’t you? First having to deal with getting sick and the hospital just to be getting better and fall ill again. Don’t worry, though, I’m going to get you all fixed up.”

Loki closed his eyes and smiled, nuzzling his face into his pillow and soaking up the attention and the feeling of Jane's hands working his neck and shoulders. He coughed a couple of times. "What will they do to me at the doctor?" he worriedly asked. "That is...i-if I have to go."

Jane shrugged, continuing to work her way across Loki’s back. “I’m not a doctor, Loki, but most likely they’d give you a flu shot and send us home. It really depends on how sick you are. As you saw on our last visit. If you’re really ill, the doctors will typically want to monitor you to make sure they can take care of you.”

That was not the word Loki wanted to hear, but somehow he knew it would come up. He opened his eyes, worry appearing on his face again. His rear visibly clenched and a hard knot formed in his stomach.

Jane continued, “Hopefully it doesn’t come to that. This is why I’ve been insisting you stay in bed to rest. You don’t want to overdo it and make yourself more easily susceptible to becoming worse off. With your immune system in the state it’s in, it makes me worry for you.”

Loki turned his head over to look at Jane. No one, besides Frigga, had ever said that they worried about him. Finally, he smiled, reaching out a hand to playfully tug at Jane's pants.

She glanced at him, giving Loki a sweet smile as she reached out and gently moved a hair that had fallen haphazardly across his face behind his ear. She did not speak, though, only continuing to massage him in an effort to relax Loki.

"Are you going to give me a butt massage, too?" Loki asked, winking playfully.

Jane laughed. “Uh…no. I thought I’d leave that to Darcy.”

Loki smirked. Suddenly, he reached over and grabbed up his hairbrush from the night table and put it in Jane's lap. "For when you finish massaging."

She chuckled softly, reaching to place the brush back on the nightstand. “Loki, I told you I can only give you a small massage for now, but then I need to get back to my research otherwise I’m going to stop getting paid. Later on tonight, though, I will brush your hair for you okay?”

Loki's eyes followed her hand as she placed the brush back on the table. He sighed, finally nodding. He relaxed, leaning into the massage.

Jane remained another twenty minutes, working over Loki’s back before petting his hair gently and climbing off of the bed. “Alright, that’s all I can do now. You really should try to rest some more and save your strength, but I did say you could come spend some time in my office with me while I work, but I doubt it’s going to be much fun for you. I have to do research…which means, I won’t be very talkative.”

Loki didn't care. He just wanted to be near Jane instead of being cooped up in his room, alone. He had to stop himself from bounding off the bed. Instead, he slowly eased himself up and swung his feet over the side and stood up, rubbing his stomach with one hand. He picked up a pair of socks and put them on, then reached to pull a blanket off the bed and wrapped it around him. He turned a smiling face to Jane.

She rubbed his back. “Come on, I’ll try to set you up to make you comfortable. Until I get a spot ready, why don’t you sit on the couch with Thor? He was worried about you, too, but I told him to leave you alone, so you could get your rest. I’m sure he’d like to see you, though.”

Loki hesitated then nodded. He just hoped Thor wouldn't see through his acting. After all, he knew him better than Jane did. Loki slowly made his way out of the room and down the hall and into the living room, where he found Thor sitting on the couch, watching TV. Quietly he approached and eased himself down next to his brother.

Thor had seen him coming, and as Loki sat, Thor rose, grabbing a pillow and fluffing it behind Loki as Loki had eased into place. He spoke softly with tender eyes, “Hello, brother. I am verily sorry that you have been made to suffer so. Worry not; I plan to address Father about this situation when you are well enough to return. It won’t do to have you falling ill like this all of the time.”

"Thank you," Loki said in a scratchy voice, giving a weak smile. He coughed a couple of times. "Please do, lest I spend my days on Midgard feeling miserable and the fear of needles forever gripping me. Jane said that if I get worse she's going to take me to the doctor." He frowned. "And I might have to have a flu shot."

Thor gave him a soft squeeze on his shoulder. “Let us hope that you do not have to face anything more like that, Loki. I wish for a swift recovery, and then we shall talk to Father.”

Loki nodded. Not exactly sure what to do, he slowly leaned over and rested his head on Thor's shoulder. "It's not fair. Nothing like this ever happened to you when you were banished here. Is it because I'm a runt?"

Thor wrapped an arm around Loki, pulling him to his chest, so he’d be resting against him comfortably. “I know not, brother, but if I had to guess, I think it is just happenstance. Not to worry, I know Jane will make sure you are healed well. For now, would you wish to watch a picture story with me?” Thor still forgot to call them movies, having fallen into calling them picture stories long ago because Jane thought it was cute did nothing to change it.

"They're called movies, Thor," said Loki with a sigh. He pulled away from Thor. "I'd like to, but Jane told me I could come into her office to rest while she worked." Loki got up. "I should go see if she's ready for me."

Jane was walking into the living room as he said this. “Actually, I was just coming to get you, but if you want to lay on the couch and rest with Thor, you can always come in afterward.”

Loki shook his head no and walked over to Jane, wrapping the blanket tighter around him.

She led Loki back into the office where she’d set up a comfy office chair with an extra pillow as well as a smaller chair to act as a footrest, also laden with pillows for Loki’s maximum comfort. “It’s not best accommodations, but it’s all I could do with what I have; sorry.” Jane grimaced at what she saw to be a sad display.

Loki smiled at her. “It’s okay.” He walked over and sat down in the chair and made himself comfortable. He hoped that he hadn’t hurt Thor too much by choosing to be with Jane. It’s not that he didn’t want to watch a movie with him, it’s just…he was afraid that if he stayed in Thor’s presence very long, his brother might begin to suspect something. Plus he had wanted to spend the afternoon with Jane anyway.

Jane had brought him a glass of chilled apple juice and handed it to him once Loki had made himself comfortable. “Here you go. Got to keep you hydrated after all.” She gave him a loving smile.

Loki accepted the glass, smiling up at her. “Thank you.” He settled back in his chair and drank the juice, determined to keep quiet so Jane could work.

Seeming satisfied with Loki’s level of comfortability, Jane settled herself at the computer and went back to analyzing some of the pictures of the star charts she had. She was zoomed in impossibly close examining them and jotting down notes. She became lost in her work easily now.

Loki watched intently for awhile as Jane continued to work. Then he reached out and started playfully, slowly walking his fingers up Jane’s back.

“Loki!” Jane chided lightly. “I have to work…” She gave his hand a playful swat.

Smiling, Loki withdrew his hand and settled back to watch Jane awhile longer. Finally, he got to the point where he couldn't hold his eyes open any longer. He stuck a thumb in his mouth and drifted off into a nap.

Jane let him sleep, doing her best not to disturb him as she laid another blanket on him. She did not rouse him until dinner was prepared. She ran her hand through his hair now, softly whispering, “Loki…hey there.”

Loki’s eyes fluttered open and he took his thumb out of his mouth. He smiled when he turned his head over and saw Jane.

“Are you ready to eat? I prepared something special just for you, and the rest of us are going to eat spaghetti.” She touched his cheek fondly before moving away to let him stand.

Loki had to fight back a glare and a grumble at that. Something special just for him… He could already guess it was bland. It was going to be torture for him, he knew. He sighed, pushing himself to his feet. “Is Darcy here?” He gave Jane a smirk and a wink.

She just laughed, shaking her head. “Thor and Darcy are already sitting at the table waiting for us.”

Loki smiled and followed Jane out of the office. Maybe he wouldn’t enjoy whatever Jane had prepared for him to eat, but embarrassing Darcy would more than makeup for it, he thought.

Thor and Darcy smiled sympathetically at Loki as he stumbled into the kitchen, putting on his act well enough for them to feel sorry for him.

On the table, everyone’s food had been served and ready to eat. Loki found that his setting held a banana, plain rice, a small cup of applesauce, and a slice of toast.

Jane pointed to the food. “I did a little research online, and there is a diet called the BRAT diet,” Pointing at his plate, “hence those specific items of a banana, rice, applesauce, and toast…get it?…BRAT.” Jane smiled at the acronym.

Darcy giggled. “Wow, that couldn’t be a more fitting meal for you, eh, Loki?”

Jane frowned. “Darcy! It was no insinuation on Loki’s character; it’s just a diet that’s supposed to make sure to keep his stomach from feeling upset. Now you stop,” Jane chided.

Darcy just giggled, digging into her food as the others sat down.

Thor, of course, was quick to start shoveling food down his gullet. “This,” He slurped, “is fantastic, Jane! As always, your cooking is wonderful.”

Jane beamed at Thor, sitting and looking at Loki with a smile.

Loki grimaced, both at the food and Darcy’s teasing. He shot the girl a frown as he took a seat. But instead of eating, he just stared at his plate.

Darcy couldn’t help a chuckle. “Eat up, your princeliness.” She gave him a wink.

Jane frowned. “Loki? Is there something the matter?” She saw the look of unhappiness coating his face and felt bad for the meal choice. She had just wanted to make sure the food wouldn’t have a negative reaction to his hurting stomach, and she was almost sure that the spices she used in her spaghetti would not fend well to an upset tummy.

Loki was close to throwing in the towel, but he held himself back. He looked at Jane. “No, everything’s fine,” he softly lied. He picked up a spoon and began eating. He might not have been sick, but he felt sure he was going to die of starvation. 

Seeing Loki start eating, Jane relaxed a little, returning to her own meal as everyone now ate in silence.

Loki finished eating first and sat back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest. His eyes finally rested on Darcy. He gave her another scowl for no reason, then his mouth curled into a smirk.

Having sensed his eyes on her, Darcy grabbed her glass of milk, raising an eyebrow his way as a silent question while she drank.

Loki’s smirk turned into a full smile as he continued to eye Darcy.

She pulled her glass away. “What are you up to?” she asked suspiciously.

“What makes you think I’m up to something?” he said softly.

She smiled knowingly. “When are you ever not up to something?” she teased.

Loki’s smiled widened. Then he turned to look at Jane.

“So, Darcy, Loki tells me that your massages are better than mine. He said your hands are amazing even.” She smiled as Darcy perked.

“Oh yeah?” She brightened. “He did say I was pretty good, and I gather coming from Loki, who’s so used to getting pampered by us, I should swell with pride!” Darcy jested, and Jane smirked, waiting for Loki to drop the bomb.

Loki stood up and walked around the back of his chair, stopping at Jane. “You first,” he whispered in her ear, giving her shoulder a nudge. He continued walking around the table until he stopped beside Darcy. He leaned a hand on the back of her chair, grinning down at her.

Jane smiled mischievously. “Yes, Loki even mentioned you massaged his butt while you were at it! And here I didn’t think you liked Loki like that, well enough to want to squeeze his hindquarters!”

Darcy almost spit out the food she’d placed in her mouth as she swallowed, choking slightly. “What! No! I wasn’t!” She blushed horribly as she sputtered.

Loki grinned from ear to ear at seeing Darcy’s reaction and the way her face was turning red. Now to pay her back for the low jabs she threw at him when he first came into the kitchen, he thought. Slowly he turned around and pulled the back part of his pajama bottoms down halfway. He playfully wiggled his butt, teasingly. “Why, whatever is wrong, Darcy? Don’t you want to feel of the trickster god’s tushie again?” he said, looking over his shoulder at her, winking. “Go ahead and give my hindquarters another squeeze, or maybe a little pinch.”

Darcy covered her face. “Oh, my gosh! Stop it!” she squealed as she jumped out of her chair, too embarrassed to stay put.

Thor was watching Loki curiously now. “Are you starting to feel better, Loki? You are looking much less…sick now. That is good, yes?”

Loki’s amused grin faded into a series of coughs as he pulled his pants back to their proper place. He winced. “Actually, I’m still feeling a little bad. But I still couldn’t resist poking at Darcy.” He turned twinkling eyes to the girl. “Especially after those low blows she threw at me when I came into the kitchen.”

Darcy crossed her arms, staring at Loki. “Oh, hardy har, har, Loki! See if I give you another massage.” She smiled as she sat back down.

Thor watched Loki curiously but said nothing as he returned to his meal.

Jane also regarded him with a mixture of wonder and interest to see him bouncing about. “You’re not feeling better at all, Loki?”

A look of uneasiness washed over Loki’s face as he turned to face Jane, her question throwing him off for a second or two. "Er...no," he said, swallowing. He slowly walked around and sat down in his chair again.

“Oh,” Jane said quietly, turning back to her food, although something was niggling at her after seeing Loki altogether too vibrant for the way he’d been acting most the day, and a small part of her had to wonder if he was manipulating her.

Thor having thought nothing more on the subject had turned to talk to Darcy about some trivial matter he’d seen on the TV, already forgetting the incident.

Darcy was none too happy to jump away from the embarrassment Jane and Loki had just caused her, quickly melting into the conversation even though she could care less about how unrealistic the Power Rangers were.

Loki nervously glanced at Jane, not exactly sure what to say. He had gotten a little carried away, he knew. Now he hoped he hadn't betrayed himself. Since he had already finished eating, he suddenly felt very awkward sitting at the table.

“May I be excused?” he finally asked Jane. "My stomach isn't feeling good again..." He put a hand on his stomach.

Jane looked up with concern as she nodded. “Yeah, go on back to lie down. You do need to rest.”

“Will you…be in to see me shortly?” he timidly asked.

She smiled. “Of course, but not for too long. I do want you to actually rest. You’ve been up and about too much these past few hours; it’s best if you are in bed. I was thinking I’d come in and read the last three chapters of _Treasure Island_ to you, though, and then I’ll leave you be.”

Loki nodded, smiling. “And brush my hair?”

Jane nodded. “For a little bit, but then you need to sleep, okay?”

Loki sighed and nodded, a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. He turned and left the kitchen, walking back to his room and shutting the door. A pout formed on his face at the thought of going to bed so early. He kicked at the carpet and walked over to flop down on the bed. He wanted to spend more time with Jane. And he was still hungry. Maybe he could sneak into the kitchen later when everyone was asleep and eat something that was actually filling.

Jane had stayed out in the kitchen for about an hour before she’d made her way back to Loki’s room, knocking softly. “Loki? Are you still awake?”

Loki let the book he'd been holding slide from his hand and land on the floor beside the bed. "Yes," he called in his hoarse voice, ending it with several coughs.

She walked in, holding a warm mug in her hands and proffering it to Loki. “It’s herbal tea. Quite tasty with a bit of lemon and honey for taste. I think you’ll like it, and it’ll hopefully make you feel better.”

Loki eagerly accepted the mug, sniffing it and tasting. "Thanks," he said, sitting up in the middle of the bed.

Jane smiled, patting his knee as she sat in the chair next to his bed. “Are you ready to hear the last couple chapters of _Treasure Island_?”

Loki smiled and nodded, scooting closer to Jane and wrapping a blanket around him. He sat there and listened to Jane read to him while he drank his tea. When she finished reading, they talked about it a few minutes until Loki reached over and grabbed up his hairbrush, offering it to Jane. "I want to see if you're as good as Darcy when it comes to doing this." He smiled.

She laughed. “Is it a competition now?”

Loki let out a small laugh. "No, I'm just curious to feel if your touch is different." He smiled. "Only, please don't pop my bottom with it."

“Pop your bottom? Is there something you’re not telling me?” Jane snickered, moving on to the bed to move his head in her lap and begin brushing his hair.

Loki closed his eyes and leaned into the brushing. Then he frowned. "Oh, I took Darcy's glasses for a joke and told her I wouldn't give them back unless she gave me a kiss on the cheek. She got upset and popped my bottom with the hairbrush. It wasn't fair. I didn't do anything bad. It was just a bit of harmless playing around, and I gave her glasses back after she gave me a kiss."

“Somehow I find it hard to believe you were as innocent as you say,” Jane questioned mirthfully.

"But I was." Loki pouted. "I'm a trickster, Jane. It's part of my nature. If I'm not harming anyone when I'm playing around, I don't see why I should get a warning swat."

“Was she playing, too? I think you would have told me if she wasn’t, am I right?” She looked down at him with a small smirk, knowing he was blowing the scene out of proportion.

Loki played with the folds of the bed covers. "No, she wasn't playing," he said softly.

Jane frowned. “She hit you hard? Do I need to go speak to her?”

“No,” he replied. “It just stung a little. She said it was a joke, too, but I think she really meant it to be a swat.”

“What would make you feel that she’d meant it as more than a joke?” Jane was curious since Loki seemed conflicted about it. She began brushing his hair now as they spoke.

Loki gave a light shrug, not really wanting to talk about it. “The fact that it hurt and she used the brush. Up until then, she had just…given me light swats with her hand that didn’t hurt...sort of like you do. I don’t know. It’s hard to figure her out.” He sighed.

Jane nodded. “She can be a bit direct. Darcy probably just had the brush in her hand when she decided to tease you back. I know she likes you, though. Believe me, you’d know if she didn’t!”

Loki nodded. “I like her, too.” He smiled then winked. “We got her back good tonight, though, didn’t we?” He chuckled. “Hope I didn’t traumatize her too much.”

Jane laughed softly. “Ah, I think she can take it as much as she dishes out. I’m sure she’s already over it.”

“Oh, I know she can. She’s so much like me.” Loki smiled.

“She is,” Jane mused. “I think that’s why the two of you clashed so much when you were first getting to know each other. You were too alike, and it was causing friction!”

Loki nodded in agreement. “Still, she’s more like the annoying big sister.”

Jane laughed. “I gather we all have our roles to fill. Better an annoying sister than an angry rival.”

"True," said Loki. He nuzzled his face in Jane's lap. "But I've never had a sister."

She caressed his cheek, leaning down to smile at him as her hair tickled his nose. “I guess you have one now by proxy.” She giggled.

Loki wrinkled his nose, reaching up to brush her hair aside. Smiling, he rose up and gave her a small kiss on the cheek.

"Aw, aren't you so sweet." Jane giggled, giving him a peck on the cheek back. She studied him now, thinking back on dinner and how Loki had seemed well enough, but then seemed ill once more. Now once more Loki seemed well. It had her starting to silently question him.

Loki's smile turned into a grin.

Jane continued to brush his hair for a while. "Alright, go ahead and turn over, and I'll give you a massage."

Smiling, Loki quickly moved and positioned himself on his belly.

Jane massaged Loki in silence for about an hour before patting his back. "Okay, Loki, I'm going to head out now. Are you starting to feel better at all?"

Loki’s mouth worked silently. Then he shook his head, coughing.

Jane nodded as she rose from the bed. "Alright, I'll go ahead and let you get some rest then."

Loki gave a quick nod and bid Jane goodnight, watching her leave. Once she closed the door to his room, he turned out the light and waited several hours until he felt that everyone was asleep. Carefully, he got out of bed and eased open the door, looking down the hallway. He walked out and silently made his way into the kitchen. He looked over his shoulder once and walked over to the fridge.

Jane had been having trouble sleeping, so she'd decided to use the lack of sleep as an excuse to work on her star charts. She was startled to hear the sound of clinking glass from someone rummaging around in the refrigerator. Leaving her office, she looked down the hall to hear Thor was snoring lightly, and Darcy had left after the movie they'd watched. Jane padded down the hall before coming to the kitchen and turning on the light. 

Startled, Loki jumped and turned around, fumbling and quickly closing the fridge door. “Jane!” he said when his eyes landed on her. In his shock, he forgot to add the hoarseness to his voice.

Jane's face went through a myriad of expressions, first shock to see Loki his arms piled up with food, then confusion hearing his voice, and then disappointment realizing Loki had been faking all along. "That's a pretty remarkable recovery, Loki." Her tone was harsh, her brow was drawn down, expressing how unhappy she was at being lied to.

Loki’s face paled as he studied Jane’s face. He swallowed, not wanting to look her in the face any longer as he slowly turned to unload his arms on the kitchen table. He stepped away, wringing the bottom part of his shirt in his hands. Guilt now washed over him as he stood in the middle of the kitchen, not saying a word.

“You’re hungry, right? I’m sure all the faking being sick had you working up an appetite, am I right?” Jane asked sarcastically. “Go on. Eat.”

“Y-you knew?” Loki asked in surprise. “And…y-you’re not mad?” Loki slowly walked over to the table and began preparing a sandwich.

Jane sat down slowly as she coolly watched him make a sandwich, only responding, “I have had my suspicions since dinner.”

After making his sandwich, Loki took the chair beside Jane. He ate in silence a few minutes, then he finally forced himself to look over at her. He wasn’t sure what to say since the air felt awkward. He was feeling guilty for what he’d done, the food he was eating turning into a heavy knot in his stomach. But the fact that Jane didn’t seem angry puzzled him. He continued to eat slowly.

Jane rose from the table as he ate and began putting away the materials Loki had used to make his sandwich. She remained stonily silent throughout this procedure before pulling out a baking spatula, unbeknownst to Loki, and leaving the kitchen with it to place it on Loki’s nightstand before returning to the kitchen.

When Loki finally finished eating, he got up and took his plate and put it in the sink, washing his hands. He turned to Jane when he was done. “I’m sorry,” he said softly. “Will you forgive me?”

She nodded. “I do. Now come on, let’s go back to your room.” She said this very nonchalantly, so Loki might just have assumed that was the end of it, but he had no idea what was awaiting him back in his room. It most certainly wasn’t going to be a massage or a hair brushing!

A spark of hope welled inside of Loki as he followed Jane. He couldn’t believe he was getting off without a spanking.

She opened his door for him, letting him enter first.

Loki slowly entered, eyeing Jane. He didn't like that she was being so quiet. “Are you going to tuck me in?”

Jane stated breezily, “Something like that; we’ve got a little something to discuss before you go to bed. I wanted you to eat first as I’m pretty sure hunger is going to be the last thing on your mind by the time I’m through with you.”

Loki swallowed, watching Jane shut the door. He instinctively backed away.

“I’m really disappointed in you, Loki; you’ve been lying to me all day. Why?” Jane frowned, crossing her arms.

Loki stood, wringing his hands and studying Jane. Hearing that Jane was disappointed in him hit him harder than anything. “I-I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to disappoint you. I just…wanted to spend more time with you. I hate that I lied to you. I-I-I...I feel guilty over it. I...was tempted to confess earlier, but I just...couldn't bring myself to do it because I knew you and Thor would be angry with me."

“I’m not angry, but I am saddened that you thought it was acceptable to manipulate and lie to me. I can’t let this affront go unanswered, you do realize, right?” Jane asked him as she moved closer to him now.

Loki whimpered lightly, hanging his head. Tears were already starting to form in his eyes. "I'm sorry. I won't ever do it again. I just wanted to spend more time with you."

She sighed, pulling him into a hug. “I want to spend time with you as well, Loki, but you can’t go about getting your way by acting this way. Not only were you lying to us all, but you know Thor wanted to go back to Asgard to take care of things there. He stayed here with you to make sure you were well, which is inconsiderate of his needs to get what you want. That’s selfish.”

Loki wrapped his arms around her, sniffling. "I apologized. Can't we leave it at that?"

Jane shook her head as she released Loki from the embrace to lean down and grab up the spatula off of the nightstand. “No. I’m not letting you off the hook for this. You’re going to be spanked. Now go ahead and take down your pants.” As she said this, she climbed on the bed, resting her back against the far wall, so Loki could climb over her knee. She was smaller than him, so she knew that she’d need something to help keep him in place on her lap. The last thing she wanted him concerned with was falling off of her lap since she planned to toast his behind quite well.

Loki’s eyes widened when he saw her pick up the spatula, another whimper escaping his mouth. He hadn’t seen it before she touched it. He turned watery eyes from the horrid thing to look at Jane, biting his trembling lip. "Jane, please..."

Her eyes fluttered closed as she took in a deep breath. This was very hard for her to do. She hated punishing him because he’d wanted to spend more time with her, but she couldn’t let go the means in which he chose to do so. Lying and manipulation were not acceptable, and Loki needed to be taught that there would be consequences to pay for his actions. “Loki, please don’t do this to me. You know this hurts me to have to do to you, but this is happening. Now do as I told you. Take your pants down, and then I need you to come place yourself over my knee.”

Loki felt utter shame as he stood there listening to Jane's words. He had made her spank him again. That thought hurt much more than the spanking he was about to endure. He looked at Jane and then to the spatula in her hand and he had to bite back a sob. He didn't want to be spanked. Pangs of remembered pain from when Thor used the spatula on him prickled across his bottom. He wanted to stall and plead and do everything he could to try and get out of it. If it had been Thor, he would have. But this was Jane. As he stood there, eyeing her, he just couldn't bring himself to fight back. He didn't want to make it harder for her.

Finally, Loki moved his hands to the waistband of his pajama bottoms and pulled the back of them down below his butt cheeks while trying to hold the front part up to hide his privates. All the while he gave Jane a tearful, saddened, miserable look. "D-do I have to pull them all the way down?" he tearfully asked with a whimper, his cheeks blushing at the thought of exposing his front part to Jane.

Jane nodded grimly. "You can wait until you're on my lap, but then they need to come down."

Loki gave a small nod as he slowly walked forward and crawled onto the bed. He kept an eye on Jane as he made his way over to her and crawled across her lap and lay down on his stomach. He lifted his rear enough to finish pushing his pants down to his knees. Biting back another sob that almost came out, he moved his hands around and laid them beside his head. Tears were already starting to streak down his cheeks as he turned his head over to look over his shoulder at Jane. His bottom clenched in anticipation of what was about to come. "I-isn't there another way?" he asked in a watery voice.

Jane regarded him a moment before responding, "This is the punishment that works, so no. I'm sorry, Loki, but you're going to have to face the fact that you're going to be spanked. I wish I didn't have to do this to you, but you brought this on yourself. I care about you too much to not do something about this," as she spoke, her arm latched around his waist, pulling it taught against her hip. Jane raised the spatula as she finished whipping it down with quick harsh slaps peppering his rear end to a drum beat precision.

Loki had planned on trying to take his punishment without a big show, for Jane’s sake, but the moment the spatula made first several contacts with his backside, he uttered a loud, pained scream, lurching forward. Each swat brought a painful sting that already was starting to build. Despite his efforts to remain stoic, he found himself squirming and wriggling his rear to try and move it out of the path of the spatula. 

As Loki bucked, Jane decided quickly that she needed to lock him down as she scooted back against the wall pulling a leg around and over his thighs fluidly. Once she’d secured him in this way, Jane began her onslaught on Loki's rear once more.

“Nooooo…” Loki wailed out miserably when he felt his legs restrained. He tested Jane’s hold by trying to move them, but they were firmly held in place. But he could still move his feet, so he proceeded to kick and dig them into the bed at feeling the new wave of stinging pain that erupted over his cheeks when the spatula commenced its searing bite. "Owwwwwwwwwwww!" he screamed out, throwing his hands back to try and shield his rear. He already knew that doing so would get them pinned, too, but he couldn’t help it. The spanking was just starting and already he felt like he couldn’t take anymore.

"Remove your hands, Loki. I don't want to hit them. I want you to tuck them under yourself, or I'm going to have to pin them to your back," Jane informed him calmly.

Loki choked out a loud, watery sob. He hesitated then slowly pulled his hands away from his bottom and pushed them under him as Jane told him to do. “Please, Jane,” he sobbed out, “no more. I can’t take anymore.”

Jane inhaled deeply. "Loki, I'm sorry, but you're not the one who decides when this punishment is over. You're just going to have to endure; I know you can, and you will. I plan on making sure you learn a lesson, and we've got a way to go yet before I feel you've fully learned it."

 _“I care about you too much to not do something about this.”_ Jane’s words repeated in his mind, reminding him of Frigga. Loki blubbered, tears and snot streaming down his face. His heart fell at hearing Jane say that they had a way to go before the spanking would be over. His butt already stung and ached from what little Jane had already given him. He couldn't imagine more being applied. Finally, he gave a small, half-hearted nod, sniffling and burying his face in the bed and squeezing his eyes tightly closed, gritting his teeth. As much as he hated admitting it to himself, he really did deserve every bit of this...if not for anything else but because of the way he had treated Jane. He knew he'd hurt her from what he did, and he hated himself for it. She was his friend and she had also stepped in and filled the role as his mother during the time he and Thor had been visiting. And he had played her along with his deceptiveness and lied to her on top of it for selfish gain. Guilt flared up again as he lay there across her lap.

Jane continued to swat Loki's backside in even sweeps, covering the entire bottom half of his rear and the top half of his thighs in red splotches from the spatula. She finally slowed, although she didn't stop completely. Instead, she said, "I want you to tell me why we're here, Loki; tell me why you need this spanking."

By now, Loki was fully bawling. The underside of his rear felt hot and scorched, and all he could think about was the pain. Every time the spatula came down, it seemed to find new tender areas of his butt that he never even knew were there. He barely heard when Jane asked him the question. He choked out a fresh sob when he realized he was going to have to confess his crimes aloud. He wasn’t sure why he did it, but he kept silent as he continued to cry into the bed covers, his body convulsing with hitched breathing. An especially hard slap from the spatula caused him to squeal out.

"Loki, I need you to tell me why we're here. I need confirmation that we're on the same page." Jane did not stop, but she did lighten the blows.

“I-I…” Loki started, his breath badly hitched, “I l-lied and d-d-deccceived you,” he finally got out, hissing and twisting in Jane’s hold at the spatula’s continued descent. “I’m sorry, Mama!” Loki wailed out pitifully. “Please, s-s-s-sstop!” His reddened face scrunched up in pain.

Jane's heart broke to hear him calling her mother, and she knew on a deep seeded level, she was channeling that for him. She put the spatula down and carefully tugged his pajama bottoms up as she spoke softly to him, "I believe you, Loki; I think that's enough of that. Come here." She helped him roll into her, his head resting on her chest as she pulled him into a hug.

Still bawling and choking out harsh sobs, Loki wrapped his arms tightly around Jane and hid his face in her shirt. “I-I-I didn’t mean to hurt you,” he sobbed out before coughing and choking on his tears.

She gently caressed his face, slowly pushing dampened hair from tears and exertion back behind his ear with the cool touch of her fingertips. "Shh. It's okay. I know you didn't. Calm yourself. I know what you did was not in malice, but it's also something I can't abide." 

More tears spilled out of his eyes as he looked up into her face. He closed his eyes again and nuzzled into her and fought to get his breathing under control. He finally removed a hand and slid it down into his pants to rub at his bottom, wincing and hissing when his fingers touched his hot and sore flesh.

Jane held him, letting him pull himself together. She held a tender, loving look as she continued to stroke him gently.

Loki leaned into the stroking. And after a few minutes, his heavy sobs died to sniffles and hiccups.

Once Loki had calmed, she spoke again, “I understand you wanted to stay here, Loki. I know you fear going back to Asgard; that you fear your father’s rebuke, but you are going to have to face him and the rest of your Asgardian peers eventually. It’s not going to be forever either. You and Thor will come back. You know that don’t you?”

Loki opened his eyes to stare forward, across the room as he thought about what Jane had said. He frowned, not wanting to think about going back. “It’s not fair,” he said softly, struggling to hold back more tears. “I finally have a family where I’m actually wanted and I have to leave it behind, even if it’s just for a short time.” He nodded. "Yes, I understand. But I still don't want to leave."

She pulled Loki back into a fierce hug, knowing he needed comfort more than anything now. “I know, I know. I wish that you and Thor could stay with me, but neither of us has control of this situation. You have to get back in your father’s graces, Loki. Until you can make things right by him, you’re not going to have free reign to do as you please. You’re still being punished.”

Loki frowned. He didn’t like being reminded that he wasn’t in control and that he was still being punished. He knew it was true, but he refused to accept it—he didn’t want to accept it.

“He is not my father!” Loki said bitterly.

“And I am not technically your mother, but we all have roles in your life, Loki,” Jane scolded. “Now you need to stop this. It’s time to quit throwing your doubt around like a sledgehammer.”

Loki didn’t say anything. Instead, he just pouted, kicking at the bed with his feet.

Jane sighed, motioning with her hand. “Get up, Loki.”

Loki turned a curious look to Jane. “Why?” he asked softly.

“Because we’re not done. We addressed your lying, and now we are going to address the fact that you thought it was okay to manipulate me. Now come on.” Jane rose and slid off the bed grabbing the chair next to the bed as she did so and moving it over to the far corner, placing it so it was facing the wall.

At hearing what Jane said, Loki’s heart pounded in his chest and his brow furrowed in worry, a whimper leaving his mouth. “Not done?” he said, his voice almost squeaking. He eased himself off the bed, careful not to let his butt touch anything. He stiffly stood up, grabbing his pajama bottoms to keep them from falling down to his ankles. The back part drooped down, but he didn't care this time. He watched Jane put the chair in the corner, not understanding. “B-but I thought the spanking you just gave me was for both.”

“The spanking was a part of it, but now I want you to sit here, facing the wall, so you can spend a little time letting what we spoke about sink in.” One of Jane’s hands held on to the back of the chair as if inviting him to come sit.

Loki looked from the chair to Jane as he slowly walked forward. Was she kidding? “But, Jane, I can’t sit down. You know that."

“I beg to differ; seat,” She pointed, “now.”

Loki swallowed, nervously looking at the chair. He turned his eyes back to Jane, still not understanding why she was doing this. “No,” he said, shaking his head. He started backing away, placing a hand behind him to rub his bottom. “I can think about it right here.”

Jane raised an eyebrow. “Loki? Wasn’t it you that told me you’d broker no resistance to listening to me only the other day? Please, I need you to listen to me, come over here, and take a seat.”

Loki whimpered, his bottom lip trembling. His gaze fell down to the chair again. “But I’m too sore to sit.” He rubbed at his bottom and shifted from foot to foot.

Jane inhaled deeply, never losing that stern glare. “Then I suppose you shouldn’t have spent all day pretending to be ill. If you hadn’t, you wouldn’t have to worry about sitting on your sore bum. Now I don’t want to hear any more debate, put that bottom in this seat now, or I’m going to need to pick up my spatula again. Is that what I’m going to have to do to get you to listen to me, Loki?”

Loki studied Jane’s face, uttering another whimper. Finally, he shook his head, slowly walked forward, and gingerly sat down in the chair. As soon as his bottom touched the seat, he hissed and winced and jumped back up, placing his hands underneath him. Catching a look from Jane, he forced himself to sit again, wriggling about on it as if there was actually hope of finding a comfortable position. “Owwwwwww…” he whined, fresh tears streaming down his cheeks. He looked back at Jane. “This is cruel.”

“This is reflection,” she answered coolly. “You need to know I mean business, Loki, and I do seriously want you to consider what your actions have wrought. True, you didn’t hurt anyone, but your blatant selfish disregard is very disappointing. You need to start thinking about more than just what you want. This isn’t the Loki show.”

“But I’ve always done that to get what I want!” said Loki, still looking at Jane. “They don’t call me the god of lies and deceit for nothing.” His eyes looked around the room in confusion before they settled on Jane again. “I’m sorry I did it to you, honest I am. I…I didn’t want to…but…I didn’t see any other way that I could spend more time with you.” He squirmed in his seat, wincing. The hard chair clearly was not agreeing with his blistered bottom.

“One of your biggest problems is that you think you can always get what you want. That’s not how life works, Loki,” Jane stated as she sat on the bed across from him. “Sometimes we have to take the hard road to get to the easy road.”

Loki eyed Jane with sad eyes. All of this was so new to him. He put his hands under him to help cushion his rear. “Can I get up now?” he asked, whimpering.

She shook her head. “No, you’re going to stay planted nose to the wall for one hour. Once that hour is up, then you can get back up, but I don’t want to see your nose leave the corner, or you’re going to start over. Do you understand?”

Loki swallowed, looking her up and down, his brow furrowing. “I have to sit here for an hour? B-but I want to go to bed.”

“Once your punishment has ended, that’s exactly where you’ll be going. Straight to bed, but not until you sit and think about why you’re being punished. Now turn around, or you’ll be sitting there all night, Loki.” As Jane said this, she had casually reached over and grabbed the spatula, laying it beside her before crossing her arms and watching Loki intently.

Loki watched her pick the spatula up. Giving one last whimper, he slowly turned around to face the wall, still wiggling about in the seat of the chair. He was tired and in pain, but he didn’t want to feel that spatula again. He had never been forced to sit in a corner before, so the whole sensation was new to him. He slid down and slouched in the chair, trying to keep the weight off the underside of his bottom where most of the pain was. He hoped Jane wouldn’t notice.

Jane noticed, but she didn’t comment, only sitting quietly and observing him. She knew that eventually, Loki would need to move to get comfortable, and the point of the corner was for him to sit quietly and hopefully learn something while he sat there.

Without thinking, Loki glanced over his shoulder.

“Loki!” Jane twirled her hand and pointed at the wall. “I’m not going to warn you again. Nose to the wall.”

Loki frowned, turned around, and crossed his arms over his chest. “I’ve never been put in a corner before. All of this is new to me.” He sniffed, wiping his eyes on his sleeve. “I don’t understand how you expect me to sit here for an hour. I’m already bored.”

Jane said nothing, but she snatched up the spatula, moved over to Loki, and with one quick movement, she yanked Loki off the chair and gave him three swift swats. “No more talking, and keep your nose facing the wall. If I have to, I’ll go to the next step. Believe me, Loki; just trust me that you don’t want me to take it there.”

Jane snatching him up and applying three stinging swats to his already smoldering butt took Loki completely by surprise. When Jane let him go, he fumbled and sat down hard in the seat, a pained and confused look on his face and tears filling his eyes. He nervously watched Jane walk back to the bed, then quickly turned around to face the wall again, one hand rubbing out the new sting. He now knew that he couldn’t talk or turn around. He whimpered, sniffing away several tears that wanted to crop up. He stuck his thumb in his mouth and sat there and stared forward at the wall. He didn’t know what the next step was that Jane spoke of, but he didn’t want to find out. For the next several minutes, Loki contemplated on his actions as Jane told him to do, but he already knew he had done wrong by lying to Jane and leading her on as he had done. He understood that was the reason why his bottom was currently inflamed. Why was he being forced to sit here and think about it more? He was reminded of it and thought about it every time he felt the pain in his behind. A few tears trickled down his cheeks as he moved uncomfortably on his chair. No matter how much he moved around, he still felt pain. He sighed. He could feel Jane behind him. Slowly, he inched his head around to sneak a glance over his shoulder, turning his head in such a way where he could see out of the corner of his eye. He tried doing it as subtly as he could so Jane wouldn’t notice. He not only didn't want to find out what else she had in store for him, but he didn't want that dreaded spatula coming in contact with his tail again either.

Jane saw Loki looking at her out of his peripheral, but she didn’t fault him for trying to glance about in the small means he was granted, but she reached in her pocket now, pulling out a penny. She had a sad feeling that Loki wasn’t going to be able to make it through this particular punishment without getting to the next step that would eliminate any further opposition for certain.

Jane pulling the penny out didn't escape Loki's notice. He wasn't sure what she had pulled out, but it made him curious. He turned around to face the wall again, trying to keep himself looking that way lest he get another dose of the spatula. But worry ate at him, and so did curiosity as to what Jane had. She said she'd go to the next step, and by the way she had talked it was bad. But what could possibly be worse than a spanking? Loki nudged the wall with his foot.

The time ticked by—five minutes, ten, fifteen. Jane nodded, noting she was proud of Loki for getting through a fourth of the punishment, but growing weary of watching him, Jane grabbed one of Loki’s books he’d brought from the library and began thumbing through it to make the time pass a little faster since she too had to endure Loki’s punishment in this way.

Loki heard Jane moving around, but he kept his eyes focused forward. It was hard, he fast discovered, but he knew he had caused Jane enough grief already so he was determined to make her proud of him. He might not be able to make Odin proud, but he was going to make Jane proud. He snuggled up in his chair the best he could, his bottom angrily letting him know just how hard the chair's seat was, thumb still in mouth and patiently waited for the time to be over. Maybe after he was allowed to get up, Jane would give him more cuddles before bed.

She was proud of Loki as he continued to sit. They were reaching the last fifteen minutes of the hour, and she had to glance over from her book and give a soft smile that he’d done so well.

Unknown to Jane, Loki was fighting sleep. He had to keep his head up and keep from dozing. He didn't want to fall asleep and fall out of the chair and risk finding out what horrible thing Jane had in mind for him. But staying awake was easier than he thought since his sore bottom constantly jolted him awake when he moved the wrong way. He hissed in discomfort and put a hand underneath him, angrily kicking at the wall.

Jane raised an eyebrow, stating with a slight warning, “Watch the kicking there, Loki.”

Loki drew his feet back at hearing Jane. He sighed wearily, leaning to the side to rest his head against the wall. His right hand still worked to soothe his bottom. A few fresh tears made their way out of his eyes and streaked down his cheeks.

Feeling bad for him, Jane sighed. “Alright, Loki, you can get up.” She let him off ten minutes early just because she hated seeing him this sad looking. “Go ahead and climb into bed. I’m going to let you sleep in because it’s late, but tomorrow, you’re going to need to tell Thor what happened here.”

Loki eagerly and stiffly stood up, turning to face Jane. He wasn't sure what to say, so he just held out his arm to her, hoping she would get the hint that he wanted a hug.

She was more than eager to return the hug, just as happy as Loki was that the punishment could come to closure. It was hard for her to stand firm and keep at it. She was glad it was finally at an end, and she could show Loki he was forgiven.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled as he wrapped his arms around her. "D-do you still love me?"

She hugged him fiercely. “Do you even need to ask such a thing?”

"No, I guess not." He sighed. "But I just want to make sure. If I had done something like this and Odin found out, he would throw me in the dungeon and never speak to me again."

She only hugged him tighter to comfort him. She didn’t comment if that were the case, Odin likely already would have done so. She didn’t want to work the man up, though, so Jane let it go.

Loki smiled. "I have to say you had me worried earlier today when you were talking about taking me to the doctor."

She chuckled. “It would have served you right to get another shot in your tush, faker.” She gave him a playful punch to the arm.

Loki managed a small smile as he reached behind him to rub at his bottom. "I'm not sure which is worse—a shot or your spatula. This is not what I wanted to remember you by."

She smirked at him. "Well, it could have been a three-course breakfast if you’d gotten up yesterday morning.”

Loki's gaze fell to the floor.

She squeezed his shoulder. "Why don't you get some rest, Loki."

Loki nodded and walked over to the bed. He stopped and looked back at Jane. “Uh, Jane...” He shyly pointed to the spatula still lying on the bed, “I don’t want to sleep with that thing.”

She chuckled. "I won't leave it behind."

Loki turned and rolled into bed to lie on his stomach. He winced, reaching to pull the back of his pants down, feeling relief when the cool air hit his bottom. He blushed when he realized Jane had been watching and he moved his hands to cover himself. Not that it mattered, he thought. Jane already knew what his rear looked like.

Jane acted indifferent to Loki's nakedness, not wanting to embarrass him as she pulled his covers snugly around him.

He held his hand out to her. Loki’s curiosity finally got the best of him and he just had to ask the question that had been bothering him. “Jane, what would you have done if I refused to stay in the corner?”

She smirked, pulling the penny out of her pocket and moving it across her fingers. "Well, when I was a little girl, I was quite willful. My father used to take a penny and make me press my nose against it to keep it and my nose consequently against the wall."

Loki looked at the coin, then at Jane, slowly pulling the covers next to his face. 

She chuckled. "Aren't you glad you didn't get to that step?"

“Yes,” Loki answered. His eyes moved to the penny again. “Wh-what happens if you let it slip?”

Jane tapped the spatula on the palm of her hand. "Let’s just say that you get a reminder not to."

Loki worriedly looked at the spatula, cowering under the covers and turning wide, teary eyes up at Jane. “I’ll be good,” he said softly.

She caressed his cheek sweetly, giving him a soft smile. "I know you will be. Knowing what you'll get if you don't which helps with a trickster doesn't it?"

Loki stared at Jane, then looked at the spatula again. He didn't say anything to that, choosing instead to nuzzle his face into his pillow and heave a sigh.

She leaned down to plant a kiss on his forehead. "Get some sleep. You've got some explaining to do in the morning."

Loki’s eyes were beginning to droop when Jane leaned to kiss him. He sleepily watched her turn out the lamp and heard when she exited the room and pulled the door closed. He sighed. He wasn’t looking forward to telling Thor in the morning. He didn’t want to go back to Asgard either. He didn’t want to face Odin or live with the emptiness that Frigga’s passing had left behind, or the loneliness that he was sure was awaiting him. But he was also scared of something else. What if Thanos and the Chitauri found him? The Other had promised him more pain if he failed. As far as he was concerned he had failed—he had failed immensely. So what was stopping them from finding him in his home realm? What made it worse is that he was mortal now and highly vulnerable—more vulnerable than he had been before. It wouldn’t take much to finish him off. He had no doubt that Thor would protect him, but Thor wouldn’t be able to bring down Thanos. It had taken all of the Avengers to stop the Chitauri invasion, and he knew that Thanos was much more powerful than a bunch of cyborg aliens. Loki peered around the dark room and snuggled deeper under the covers for comfort. He’d never say it aloud, but he felt safe here in Jane’s house—safer than he had ever felt since he’d fallen from the Bifrost. It felt like a hideaway that Thanos and the Chitauri didn’t know about. Continuing to dwell on these thoughts, Loki closed his eyes and sank into a deep sleep.


	30. Kittens

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING! Loki and kittens ahead. Brace yourselves. Also... feels. Lots and lots of feels.

When Loki stirred awake the next morning, he immediately felt a presence in his room. It startled him at first, thinking back on the fears he had been mulling over when he had fallen asleep. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and cautiously and slowly turned his head to look over his shoulder. There at the foot of his bed sat Thor. A chill ran down Loki. Then he realized that his rear was still exposed. He quickly fumbled around until he found a corner of a blanket. He grabbed it to cover his bottom with.

“Th-Thor,” he said sleepily, yawning, “What are you doing here?”

Thor quirked an eyebrow. "Do you really need to ask that? From the scorched color of your cheeks, I have a feeling whatever it is that Jane has told me you were planning to discuss with me has already been addressed with her. So please, brother, enlighten me."

Loki swallowed, moving into a position that allowed him to look at his brother while at the same time kept his rear from touching the mattress.

“Uh…” He cleared his throat, “I-I’m not really sick. I-I faked it yesterday. I lied and deceived all of you because…I…did not want to go back to Asgard. I wanted to spend more time with Jane.”

Thor nodded. “I see.” He sighed. “I don’t gather I need to punish you any more than what has already been done. I do hope you realize the folly of your lying, though. I understand you do not wish to leave Jane, Loki, but our place is not here in Midgard meandering about traipsing after Jane. We have more that needs be done at home, and Jane also needs to continue her work. As much as she enjoys our company, we are a distraction to her. She will not admit this, but I know it to be true. You trust me in this do you not?”

“Jane spanked me quite thoroughly last night with her spatula as well as put me in the corner,” Loki said softly. “I’m sorry, Thor.” He frowned. “I understand that we must return to Asgard, but I don’t want to. I don’t wish to face the emptiness and loneliness there. I like it here with Jane and Darcy because I feel like I finally have a place where I belong and am wanted. Since Mother is gone, there’s nothing left for me in Asgard. I have no one…except you.” He looked at Thor with pleading eyes. “I'll go with you back to Asgard, but, Thor, please...just give me one more day here. I wish to have one more day to spend time with Jane…in an honest manner this time, without deception and lying. I...don't wish to leave on yesterday's note.”

Thor sighed, lowering his eyes to his hands and thinking several minutes before finally responding. “I shouldn’t reward you for your awful behavior, Loki, but I sense that your heart aches to make things right, so I will compromise for you. We will stay for half of the day and leave in the afternoon. No more than that, though, do you understand?”

Loki’s eyes lowered. He was about to protest but figured he’d better not for fear it would cause Thor to take him straight to Asgard right then and there, or worse…give him cause to apply a few swats of his own to his sore bottom. Finally, he looked up, nodding. “As you wish, Thor,” he said in a low voice. He reached over and took the blanket off his rear to look at the damage. He winced. “I hope I’ll be able to wear my leather trousers.”

Thor smirked. “Well, brother, that will be a problem you face, brought on completely by your own actions. Further consequences to help you learn from this whole affair, one would hope. I’ll leave you to dress, but do not take too long, Jane is preparing breakfast as we speak.” Thor rose from the corner of the bed and turned to leave.

Loki gave Thor a scowl once he’d left the room. Sighing, he threw the covers off and eased himself out of bed and stood. He winced and stifled a yelp as he straightened up, throwing his hands behind him to rub at his very sore backside. After doing a great deal of rubbing and massaging, he walked to the bathroom and stayed a few minutes before coming back out. He looked around the small purple room, sighing sadly. He silently admitted to himself that he was going to greatly miss the place. He picked up a few articles of his Midgard clothing and walked to the closet. Here he hung up the clothes and reached to pull out his leather Asgard clothing and armor. He looked it over before turning to lay it out on the bed. He pulled his pajamas off, folding them up to put in his knapsack, and began dressing in his leather garments and putting his armor pieces in place. He squeezed his eyes closed and hissed in discomfort when he gently pulled his leather trousers over his welted rear. The tightness of them greatly disagreed with his scorched underside, helping to remind him of his past actions every time he moved. When he had finished dressing and putting on his boots, he turned to pack the rest of his belongings in his knapsack: the two books Jane gave him, his book Frigga had given him, his hairbrush, and other personal items. He brushed and smoothed his hair back with the brush first before tossing it in. He double checked to make sure everything was accounted for before picking up his pack and walking to the door. He turned and looked at the room one last time. His painting supplies and the pictures he’d painted were setting on top of the dresser. He decided to leave them behind for whenever he came back. They would give Jane something to remember him by, too.

Slowly, he turned and opened the door and walked down the hallway and into the living room, depositing his pack on the couch before slowly sauntering into the kitchen. His boots squeaking on the floor caused Jane to turn around and look in his direction.

The stove was snapping and popping; Jane had been making bacon for Loki’s final meal. Of course, this was before Thor had informed her that they would stay a little longer to spend some time together. She smiled at Loki. “So Thor told me that you two will be hanging out until a little after lunch time, so I was thinking, maybe we could all go out to the park for a picnic before you head out. We can read or paint in the shade of the trees and just enjoy each other’s company. How does that sound to you?”

Darcy smirked. “You better pack a pillow for his comfort, Jane.”

“Darcy,” Jane stated flatly.

“Hey, I wasn’t the one faking sick all day yesterday to earn a spanking okay. And no, Loki, no one told me, but I can see how stiffly you’re walking. Jane told me that you and Thor were leaving today and that he had decided for the two of you to stay, so you could make it up to Jane. It’s cool, though, I get it. You were totally going to miss my massages, right?” she teased.

Loki made a face at Darcy. “Yes, sis, I’m going to miss your massages. Not going to miss your teasing, however.” He smirked. The truth was he _was_ going to miss her teasing. He turned to Jane, smiling. “It sounds lovely, Jane.” He walked over to stand beside her, brushing his coattails aside and pointing at the armor plates that trailed up the sides of his leather pants and up the sides of his rear. “You can’t spank me now.” He smiled smugly, giving her a wink, completely forgetting that the middle of his bottom and most of his underside wasn’t armor clad.

She raised an eyebrow as she shook the spatula at him in fake warning. “You know I’d divest you of your pants before we started anyway.”

Loki’s smile fell, replaced by a look of worry as he eyed the spatula. His face reddened as he glanced over at Darcy and Thor. Slowly he let his coattails fall back to their previous position. He turned his eyes to Jane again.

Darcy shook her head, patting the cushioned chair next to her. “Hey, bro, why don’t you come sit next to your big sis and let Mom finish cooking breakfast.” She, of course, wore a big smirk on her face as she said this, finding Loki calling her sis endearing.

Jane glanced at Darcy and then back up to Loki, smiling. “Go on and take a seat, mischief-maker. I’ll have breakfast on the table in a couple minutes.”

Loki couldn’t help grinning as he walked over and gently sat down next to Darcy. He visibly cringed despite the pillow on his chair. He turned a look to Darcy. “Don’t make me take your glasses again.”

She pointed a finger at him, shifting her eyes mischievously. “Don’t make me grab your hairbrush again.”

Thor seemed lost on the conversation and said nothing, but he did smile at seeing the two jesting with one another.

Jane moved about the table, depositing bacon, eggs, and freshly buttered slices of toast on everyone’s plates as well as pouring glasses of orange juice before slipping into her seat, splaying her hands out to the spread of food. “Dig in, guys.”

Thor, of course, acted as if he were waiting to see the flag go down at the start of a race and began wolfing his food down immediately.

Jane smiled at Loki. “I’m sure this breakfast is much more appealing than yesterday’s.”

Loki frowned at Darcy’s playful warning. “You’d better not. My bottom already feels like I backed into a hot furnace.” He turned to his plate then to Jane, smiling. “Yes, it certainly is.” He eagerly began eating.

Jane was pleased, happy to see everyone enjoying the food she’d prepared for them. She looked at all of them busily eating now and turned her attention back to her plate, a small frown working onto her face. She was really going to miss Thor and Loki. Jane hadn’t realized just how much the four of them had become a little family until the understanding that it was about to slip away from her before the end of the day. As she thought on this, Jane lost her appetite and listlessly chewed on a slice of toast.

Loki reached out and playfully tugged on a piece of Darcy's hair.

“Ow!” Darcy laughed as she reached out to yank a strand of Loki’s hair. “You know, you shouldn’t play this game when you’ve got long hair yourself!”

"Ow!" Loki yelped. He turned and stuck his face in Darcy's.

Deciding he was playing a game of who could annoy the other more, she lapped his nose with her tongue.

"DARCY!" Loki yelled, backing away and wrinkling his nose. He was about to wipe it on his sleeve, but remembered he had metal gauntlets on, so he wiped it on the part that was farther up his arm, where there was no armor. He shot Darcy a disgusted look.

Darcy peeled with laughter. “Oh, my gosh! Your face!” she hooted uncontrollably.

Even Jane and Thor, who had silently been watching their little war, had to chuckle at the scene.

Loki reached out and gave Darcy's shoulder a shove. "I'll get you back for that."

She smiled widely, still sputtering out laughs. “I’d like to see you try, Loki! Just remember, do unto other…” She started laughing manically once more.

Loki grinned devilishly. "What if I poured this glass of juice on you?"

“Then I would put you over my knee and spank you for wasting Jane’s juice and making a mess,” Thor replied sharply.

Of course, Darcy had to place a hand over her mouth to control the onslaught of giggles from Loki’s swift reprimand.

Jane only sighed. “You two are something else. Why don’t you go take your antics into the living room, so I can clean up the kitchen?”

At hearing Thor's warning, Loki frowned and slowly took his hand off the glass. "I wasn't really going to do it."

Thor lifted an eyebrow. “And I’m just making sure of it.” Thor smirked. “With you, Loki, one can never know.”

Loki squirmed in his chair, eventually putting his hands under him. He looked down at the table then to Darcy. Finally, he looked over at Jane, giving her a crooked smile. But his smile faltered when he noticed she looked sad. He curiously studied her face.

Darcy and Thor moved into the living room, discussing watching the final film from the Hunger Games. Apparently, the two had watched the entirety of the series outside of the last one in the time that Loki had been actually sick and wanted to finish the series before Thor and Loki departed.

Jane stood, looking tired as she began to clear the dishes from the table.

Loki remained seated at the table, finishing up his juice and setting the empty glass aside. He watched quietly as Jane cleared the table and put the dishes in the sink. He knew what was wrong as he studied her actions. He turned to look at Thor and Darcy, then turned back to Jane. She had stopped in front of the sink, rinsing off each dish. Slowly and stiffly, Loki stood up. He winced as he walked over to Jane to stand behind her. He reached out and started playing with her hair, running his fingers through it and gathering it up in a bunch in his hand as if he were going to put it up in a ponytail. He opened his hand and let her hair fall back to its normal state. He repeated the action several times before he moved his fingers to the back of her neck and gently began massaging, slowly moving down to her shoulders.

Jane let out a deep sigh, relaxing a little under Loki's ministrations. She reached up, grabbing one of his hands when it cupped her shoulder and giving it a small squeeze. "Thank you," she stated softly.

He softly ran a finger along her cheek to make her smile.

Jane turned then to give him a tight hug. "I'm going to miss you."

Loki pulled Jane into the embrace and wrapped his arms around her, leaning down to rest his head against hers. “I’m going to miss you, too,” he said softly, feeling tears coming into his eyes. “But it’s just going to be for a month and a half, right? I’ll come see you for your birthday, and I’ll bring you lots of gifts.”

She whimpered almost inaudibly, and Loki could tell she was crying. She sniffed. "I know, I know. Don't worry about me; I just get a little emotional is all."

Loki remained silent as he hugged Jane a little tighter, closing his eyes. Then he pulled them apart, putting a hand under Jane's chin and lifting her face up to look at him. He smiled, barely containing his own tears. "I want to see you smile before I have to leave. Don't make me have to tickle you." He poked at her side.

She sniffled as twin streaks blazed down her cheeks and she nodded, choking back a sob to give him a quivering smile.

Loki’s face fell as he looked down at her. Who was he kidding? He felt on the very edge of doing the same. Gently he reached out and took Jane by the hand and led her out of the kitchen, down the hallway, and into his bedroom. He closed the door and led her over to the bed before letting go of her hand. Smiling, he eased himself, tummy down, on the bed and patted the area beside him. “I told Thor I wanted an extra day to spend time with you without deceit and lies,” he said softly.

She moved to lie beside him. "I'm glad he was amendable to the idea to stay a little bit longer. I know I'm being selfish, but I do like having your company. It made me realize I'll be a little lonely without you two here."

Loki scooted up beside her and snuggle his face next to hers. “As I recall, you scolded me for being selfish last night right before you tanned my bottom.” He forced a sad smile. "I like having your company, too, Jane. I never thought I would hear myself say that about a mortal."

She turned to face him with a small smile. "I feel honored then. It is only a month and a half away. I'm sure that's like a blink of an eye for you."

“I guess,” he replied sadly. He laid his head down on the bed. “So what’s been your favorite memory of our visit?”

"Oh, most of the time that we've shared has been nice I think, but moments, in particular, are probably us just talking and getting to know one another. The discovery of friendship," She smiled, poking his side, "and tickling you!" She poked him several times now to get him jumping about the way she knew she could.

He smirked at her, unmoving. “You honestly think I can feel that through this leather?”

She huffed, flipping the jacket open to get a better look at the armor that coated the trickster. It was very different to the type of clothing to anyone she knew, it was even different from what Thor wore. She ran her fingertips across the small parts of metal and leather, noting their fine craftsmanship. “No. I suppose not, eh?” she said softly, still awed by the feel of the armor now.

He smiled at her, rolling over so she could get a better look, but still careful not to let his rear touch the bed.

She spent several minutes just examining and feeling bits of the armor here and there. “This armor really is amazing. Did someone special make it for you?”

Loki shrugged. “Just my personal tailor and the palace artisans that make armor. I designed it myself and gave it to them to make.”

“You did? That’s fantastic, Loki. I didn’t know you designed clothes.” She smiled widely to know this new skill of his.

Loki gave her an exasperated look. “Don’t get any ideas. I’m not a fashion designer. That’s just how we do it in Asgard, especially royalty. Our clothes are custom designed to fit us and are designed according to our specifications.” He gave her a smile. “After all, some of us need hidden pockets for things like this.” Loki reached into a fold of his clothing and drew out a small dagger, laying it on the bed in front of them.

Jane seemed a bit uncomfortable by the revealed hidden dagger. “Where on Earth! Jeez, Loki, what would you need something like that for?”

Loki studied her face, noting her uneasiness. He gave a light shrug. “Protection, survival, battle, combat—Not all of us are worthy to wield a mystical hammer. Where I come from, you have to know how to fight if you want to survive. Mother taught me how to use this.” He picked up the dagger, putting it back into the folds of his outfit since Jane seemed nervous over it. He reached into another pocket and pulled out a small leather pouch.

“You’re just full of surprises now aren’t you?” Jane said as she looked on curiously.

Loki grinned. He opened up the pouch and took out a simple, small grey stone. He put it on top of the pouch. “Remember when I was telling you about our medical practices? This is a healing stone, which we carry with us in case of injuries. You just squeeze it, crumble it, and sprinkle the powder on the wound and it instantly heals.”

“May I touch it?” Jane was staring at it curiously as her scientist mind wanted a much closer look.

“Sure.” Loki laid the pouch and rock on the bed and pushed it in front of her. “Just be careful.”

Jane hesitated now. “Careful? It’s not going to break easily is it?”

“No.” Loki shook his head. "You’d have to have a lot of strength to crush one. It’s just…I don’t know what kind of effect it would have on a mortal's skin."

Jane had an instant correlation, thinking back to Thor saving Erik. He had used some type of powder substance, and this must be the same thing! “Oh! I think I saw Thor use one of these on Erik when he’d been badly injured! I thought it was a powder, but now I see it was one of these! What a magnificent invention!”

“Really?” Loki said curiously. He looked from Jane to the stone and back again. “Erik…” he mused. “Erik…the guy I…oh…” Loki grew silent, looking down at the bed.

Her own face burned, realizing the connotations behind what had happened between those two. “I…I shouldn’t have brought him up. Sorry.”

“No, it’s okay,” said Loki. “You have every right to since he’s…your friend and all. I’m just glad he didn’t show up while I was here. I'm pretty sure he would have wanted to take a swing at my rear, too."

Jane laughed. “He’s kind of mild mannered; he’d have likely been just fine on the sidelines, knowing you’d paid your dues.”

Loki’s lips curled into a small smile before it disappeared. “Are you...going to tell him?"

She looked puzzled. “Why would I do that? Did…did you want me to?” She wasn’t sure if he wanted her to tell Erik as a way to apologize or something along those lines.

“N-no.” Loki ran his fingers over the folds of the bed covers. “But I just… You said he’d be happy knowing I’ve paid my dues. So I just…didn’t know if you were going to tell him or not.”

She ruffled his hair. “I wouldn’t speak on that matter with anyone that wasn’t already privy to it within this house. I’d never do that to you, I hope you know.”

Loki grinned. “Thanks.” He looked at her. “I never told you my favorite memory of this visit.”

“Please do!” She pulled a pillow under her as she regarded him happily.

Loki remained quiet a few minutes as he stared at Jane. “Discovering that I still have something worth living for,” he said softly, tears brimming in his eyes.

She studied Loki now, unsure how to respond. It was alarming to hear that Loki had been so despondent that he’d no longer wanted to exist. She wasn’t sure if that meant he’d been suicidal or he was just expressing himself now. It made her worry for him, though, since he was leaving today, and she would therefore no longer have access to him to check on him. She laid a soft hand on the side of his face as she spoke, “You’ll always have something to live for, Loki. Saying things like that scares me.”

Loki smiled at her, then he looked down at the bed again. “Sorry, I…didn’t mean to scare you. This is the last time we'll see each other for awhile, and I don't want to dampen the mood." He looked back at her, smiling again. "My other favorite memory: Our talks and your massages." His smile turned into a grin. He reached and struggled a few minutes, pulling his leather tunic up a little to expose his bare sides. "You looked disappointed awhile ago when you couldn't tickle me through the leather," he explained.

She, of course, reached out lightning fast to tickle his exposed side. “This is a good way to liven the mood for sure!” She laughed.

Loki’s body jumped and convulsed and he curled up and started giggling at feeling her tickling fingers. “Ow! Ow, ow, ow…” He suddenly winced, putting a hand on his rear. He tugged at the seat of his pants.

Jane froze, a worried look coming over her face. “Did I hurt you?”

“No.” Loki winced again. “I just…moved wrong. These leather trousers don’t agree with…” His cheeks flushed a little, “a spanked bottom. I guess I should have waited awhile before changing into them."

Jane blushed a little herself from Loki’s admission. “Uh…the armor chafes, I gather?”

Loki nodded. “Not to mention the…tightness.” He winced as he tugged at the seat of his pants again. “I learned that they aren’t something to wear right when I get spanked, as they hold in the heat something awful.”

She couldn’t help but let out a soft chuckle. “That sounds dreadful!”

Loki stopped, his cheeks blushing when he realized what he’d said and that he’d said it aloud. He cleared his throat. “Uh…please, continue with your tickling.”

She smiled at him. “I think I’ll give you a reprieve with the extenuating circumstances.”

He looked disappointed. Then he nodded. He reached to pull his tunic down then turned to Jane. “So…what do you wish to do?”

“Hmm…” She looked up to the ceiling. “Well, we were talking about reading or painting at the park, maybe we can choose one activity for the park and another for here?”

Loki picked up the healing stone and put it in its pouch and slipped it down into one of his inside pockets. He then scooted closer to Jane and leaned his head against her shoulder, closing his eyes. “Maybe,” he said sadly.

She gave him a knowing look. “Ooooh! I know what you want! Let me guess, a massage?”

Loki smiled. “Actually, I just wanted to share your company, but now that you mention it…”

She rolled her eyes, playfully letting out an exasperated, “Fine! I suppose I can for a little while, but it’s not going to happen with all that armor on. I guess when your birthday comes about, I’m going to have to get you one of those professional masseuse gift cards. You’d love it!”

“My birthday?” Loki looked at her. He slid backward off the bed and walked to the closet. He pulled one of his earth T-shirts from a hanger and began pulling off his sleeveless coat and his tunic and armor.

“Do Asgardians celebrate birthdays?” Jane asked curiously. She’d heard Loki mention bringing presents to her birthday, so she’d just assumed, but now she had to wonder if it was just an Earth custom that Loki and Thor had picked up on.

Loki shrugged. “Sorta, I guess? We have a feast for the guest of honor. Sometimes we present gifts. But it’s not like your earth custom.” Loki put on a T-shirt and walked over to the bed and slid tummy down on it. “But I don’t know when my birthday is. My birth wasn’t exactly something to celebrate if you remember. My birth parents abandoned me, left me to die. Frost Giants aren’t the…celebrating type.”

This made Jane frown. “Well then, we’re going to have to make you a special day.”

Loki’s head perked.

Jane beamed. “Maybe we’ll make it the first day you came to stay at my house and became a little family. What do you think?”

Loki blinked, smiling widely. No one had ever offered to give him a special day. Finally, he nodded. “What do you plan to do on this special day?” he timidly asked, offering his back to Jane for her to massage it.

She absently began massaging him, more out of habit than anything. “Well, it’s going to be a surprise! What fun would it be if you knew in advance?”

Loki smiled, his eyes sparkling at the thought of all the attention he would get on this special day. "No one's ever given me a special day before," he said, closing his eyes and enjoying Jane's hands working his shoulders.

She mused, “I think you are going to have a lot of fun with it. Maybe we’ll celebrate it for you when you return for my birthday, just so we don’t have to wait until next year.”

"Really?" he said excitedly, looking over his shoulder at her. His youthful features looked even more child-like.

She giggled at his exuberance. “Sure! I think it’ll be a blast! And, I’ll have a whole month and a half to think up what to do for you!”

Loki grinned and nuzzled his pillow. "So I've got your birthday, my special day, a date with Sandra, and an outing with Darcy to look forward to when I return."

“An outing with Darcy?” Jane looked surprised. This was the first she was hearing of this!

Loki chuckled. "Oh, we were just talking about maybe going somewhere...you know...to hang out—maybe go to the movies. Although, I suggested Las Vegas." He turned to look over his shoulder. "I also suggested all of us taking a trip somewhere tropical, but she said you couldn't afford that."

Jane grimaced. “Yeah, S.H.I.E.L.D. pays me well, but not that well. That’s cool, though, I’m glad you and Darcy finally got over that rough patch you had going for a while there.”

"Do you think Thor will let me go out with Sandra?" Loki asked. "I mean, if it's a date that would mean none of you will be with me..."

“You know I have no say in that, Loki. That’s something you’re going to have to address with Thor. I don’t think he’ll keep you from going on a date with her, although you may be limited to where you can take her and for how long. Again, you’re going to have to defer to Thor with that,” Jane stated.

Loki nodded, heaving a sigh. "It's so frustrating feeling like you're on a leash."

She petted his hair sympathetically. “It won’t always be like this. Just remember, keep your eye on the prize.”

Loki gave a small smile. "Jane, since we're a family now and we all have roles. And I think of you as a mother and Darcy a sister, and Thor's my brother... What am I to you? Besides a friend, what do you see me as in our family?"

"I suppose if we're getting titles for our family then a maternal guardian sounds fitting for our relationship." She smiled.

Loki smiled widely. He rose up enough to put his arms around her for a hug.

She pulled him closer to herself now, hugging him back fiercely.

Loki closed his eyes and nuzzled his face into her shoulder. “So what’s it like being a maternal guardian to a trickster? I guess you never thought you’d have that title.”

"I can't say it doesn't keep me on my toes to be sure!" Jane pinched his nose playfully.

Loki’s face scrunched in reaction to the pinch. He looked into her face a few minutes, just admiring her. He reflected on the fact that he had started out on this journey hating Thor so much that he was going to run away and hide in another realm just to get away from him. But instead, he ended up unexpectedly finding someone who truly cared about him—someone who made him feel wanted and made him feel like he was a person instead of a bother. Jane had accepted him just as he was. And when he acted up and did bad things she didn’t push him away like Odin did, but was quick to correct him while at the same time assuring him that she still loved him. He was still trying to understand this concept. Loki smiled and leaned to give Jane a light kiss on her cheek.

She giggled, touching the cheek he'd kissed. "You are too sweet, you know that?”

Loki smiled. “You’re the first person besides Mother to ever tell me that.”

She smiled, stroking his cheek. "It must be true then, eh?"

“You think I’m sweet even after what I did to you?” he said, searching her eyes.

“What you did got you spanked, but that doesn't mean I have any less love for you, Loki. I will say your cuteness helps your case!” She snickered.

Loki shyly smiled, looking down at the bed. His cheeks turned the slightest red. “I just wish more people felt that way about me,” he said softly.

She lifted his chin. "Well, if I remember correctly, a certain Nurse Sandra does." Her smile quirked up at him as she wiggled her eyebrows.

Loki’s mouth opened up a tad and his face visibly turned redder.

Jane loved that look on him. She ran a hand through his hair now to smooth it out before returning to giving him a massage as she spoke, “I’ll have to come up with something super special just for you being it’s going to be your first birthday.” Her eyes widened in mirth at the thought of how many single candles it would take up on an Asgardian birthday cake. “How many physical years old are you now?”

“You mean how old am I in your earth years? When we were discussing it, I figured up around fifteen or sixteen, give or take.”

“I was more talking physical years…it was more just to put the number on your cake for fun’s sake,” Jane said off-handedly.

“Oh,” said Loki, not completely understanding.

She laughed at the look he afforded her. “It’s…a tradition of sorts. It’s just one of the things you can do on a birthday.”

Loki nodded, even though he still didn’t understand. He stretched out and leaned into the massage. “What other traditions do you mortals do on birthdays?"

Jane bobbed her head, thinking on the myriad of traditions birthdays held. “Oh, there are plenty of things, but why don’t you just wait and find out, eh? That will make the event that much more fun, don’t you think?”

Loki smiled and nodded, laying his head down on his folded arms and sighing. He wished they could have the party now. He wished he could stay on Midgard with Jane. It wouldn’t be long before he’d have to go back. His talk with Jane had almost pushed that part out of his mind, but now reality was starting to settle in again. He looked around the room, trying to come to grips with the fact that he wasn’t going to be sleeping there that night and he wouldn’t be seeing Jane in the morning. A few tears ran down his cheeks.

Seeing the tears, Jane grew worried. “What’s the matter, Loki?”

He looked up at her. “I don’t want to leave.”

She nodded knowingly. “I know. I don’t want to see you go either. Try not to think about it; you don’t want those thoughts to ruin our last day.”

He nodded and heaved a big sigh. "I never thought I'd say it, but I'm going to miss this purple room."

Jane chuckled. “I remember how disgusted you looked when I first brought you in here to set you up for the night.”

Loki grinned, looking around the room again. “Green would be better.”

She sighed. “Oh really? Well, maybe the next time you come by I’ll have painted this room green just for you. I’m not making any promises, but it’s a soft maybe, alright?”

Loki’s eyes brightened at that. “You’d do that just for me?”

“Soft maybe.” She winked. Wanting to get more ideas about what to get Loki for his birthday, Jane prodded, “I know you’re not looking forward to going back to Asgard, but there’s got to be some fun stuff you can get into back home in familiar territory. What do you think you’ll get up to the month and a half you’ll be gone?”

Loki shrugged. “I don’t know. What is there to do when I don’t have my powers? Except for reading and going wherever Thor drags me.” He sighed. “I might do some more painting since you helped get me back into it. Maybe I’ll pull out some of my dusty spellbooks and teach myself magic all over again.”

“Will teaching yourself magic all over again make a difference? I thought Odin took the ability away not the knowledge?” Jane asked curiously.

Loki sighed miserably at being reminded. “Yeah, he did. Until I get my power back, spells are useless.” He played at the bed covers. “Maybe I’ll sneak out and come back here.” He gave a wink.

“There’s got to be something that you can do in Asgard that would be entertaining. You don’t have any other hobbies?” Jane queried.

“There’s not much to do in Asgard,” he admitted. “No movies, no phones, no nothing like that. That’s why I’ve always found Midgard interesting. There are more fun things to do in this realm.” He shrugged. “I like animals and horseback riding and exploring nature. I’m also interested in magic and spells and the same thing you’re interested in: astronomy and stars. And I like just about anything that’s fun.” Loki thought a moment. “I also like scarves. Although, that's not much of a hobby, I guess.”

“Scarves?” This Jane hadn’t expected. “Any particular reason?”

Loki shrugged. “They look cool, and they feel cozy around my neck.”

She smiled lovingly at him. “Well then. I learned something new about you today.” Jane climbed off of his bed. “Come on, let’s go for a walk. Now that you’re not sick and all,” she teased.

Loki eased himself off the bed and walked over to the closet where he took his t-shirt off and put his Asgardian tunic, coat, and armor back on. When he made sure everything was in place, he followed Jane out into the hall. “Do you think it will be okay for me to go for a walk like this?” he asked.

“Um…maybe not.” Jane had seen Loki’s image plastered on the news enough to know he should likely change. “Besides, you’ll be more comfortable for the picnic if you change, I think. I’ll head out to the living room, and you can come out when you’re ready.”

Loki walked back into the bedroom and changed into a T-shirt, jeans, and tennis shoes before coming back out, walking into the living room. Even though the boxers and jeans felt much better on his bottom than the leather pants, he still walked rather stiffly. And he was in the middle of rubbing at the underside of his butt when he walked up to Jane. "I'm ready," he said.

Jane smiled at him, looking his new outfit over before heading to the front door and opening it for the both of them. “After you,” she invited Loki to proceed through the door.

Thor and Darcy were still watching their movie and had declined the walk but waved a goodbye to them as they headed out.

Loki stepped outside. He stopped to wait for her. "Are you sure it's safe for me to go out? I might get sick again," he teased, giving her a smile and a wink.

“Nothing a good spatula or hairbrush couldn’t cure, I have a feeling,” she teased back.

Loki frowned, stuffing his hands into his pockets and following after Jane to keep pace beside her. "So, where are we going?"

“Well, I figured we could just walk. Nowhere in particular, just get out and about to get a bit of fresh air while we talk.” She smiled at him as the two weaved onto the sidewalk. “Did you want to go somewhere in particular?”

Loki reached out and took hold of Jane's hand. "No," he answered. "I don't know where to go. You know this place better than I do."

“Let’s just walk along the strip here, there’s plenty to see as we go. It’s just a backdrop anyway,” she mused as they turned the corner to see the sleepy town’s shops were just getting into a lull of meandering shoppers.

Loki allowed Jane to pull him along by the hand as he curiously looked around at the stores and watched people walk by. Things looked so much different now that he wasn't trying desperately to rule over everyone, he thought.

“Aw! Look!” Jane stopped in front of a pet store window where several kittens were either sleeping or tackling one another, looking cute as kittens are prone to do.

Loki stopped next to her and peered through the window, a smile appearing on his lips as he watched the kittens play.

“Do you want to go inside and play with them?” Jane smiled at Loki, eager to see his reaction.

Loki turned a smiling face to her. "Yeah, I would! Can I?"

“Come on!” Jane stated jovially as she opened the store’s door. A tinkling sound of bells jingled as she did so from the other side of the door to alert the store owner of potential customers. Jane held the door open for Loki to walk inside.

Loki stepped in, taking a quick glance around at the many cages and tanks that housed more animals of various kinds. Then he turned to peer over the small wall of the area that held the window kittens. He put his hand down in it to gently run a finger over the nearest kitten's head.

Instantly three of the kittens were rubbing at the bars where his hand was, purring away while another chewed playfully at one of his digits.

Jane laughed. “It looks like they like you!”

Loki grinned from ear to ear as he rubbed each kitten in turn. Then he reached to pick up one. For someone who had nearly destroyed New York, tossed Tony Stark through a window, and attempted to bring humanity to its knees, he delicately picked the kitten up as if he were afraid it might break. He pulled it close to his chest and cradled it in his hands, talking soothingly to it and rubbing his cheek against it.

The kitten seemed content to flop backward into Loki and take complete advantage of the given attention Loki was offering it. Its little purrs reverberated loudly.

Jane smiled at the sweet scene, just watching Loki interact with the kitten.

"Ow," said Loki softly, as he pulled the kitten's claws out of his hand. He kept smiling, leaning in to softly kiss the animal on its tiny head.

The kitten closed its eyes, lazily splaying across Loki’s arm as the man treated it affectionately.

Jane beamed, watching the scene. “Do you have cats in Asgard, Loki?”

Loki looked at Jane. "Yes, of course. I told you I shapeshifted into one." He looked down at the kitten again. "We do have some of the same animals: horses, cats, dogs, birds, goats, rodents, snakes, and so forth. Some of those may not be the same species as here, but we do have similar. I had a cat when I was a child." Loki gave the kitten another kiss then reached to pick up another one and held one in each hand.

"That's right, you did. I guess I keep thinking that the critters in Asgard are going to be crazy versions of what we have." Jane blushed for making such an assumption.

Loki grinned. "Well, we do have winged horses and there's also that giant squirrel that lives in the World Tree. Even though it doesn't live in Asgard, it has caused us difficulties on occasion, when it finds a way to come into the realms."

Jane, of course, had to imagine these oddities, especially the squirrel! "Sounds exotic and troublesome to a certain degree."

Loki smiled at Jane’s reaction. He turned to look around him then back to Jane. “Do you think they would let me hold one of the snakes?”

“Um…not sure, but definitely not with the kittens in your arms,” she teased.

“Of course, I would put the kittens down first,” said Loki, smirking. He kissed each kitten on the head and gently placed them back in their pen. 

The kittens mewled at him putting them down as they stumbled about around his hand. Once he’d withdrawn his hand, Jane pointed towards the front counter where a young man that seemed less than interested in being there watched them dully. “We probably need to ask him to take it out.”

Loki looked toward the counter, then to Jane. He gave a small shrug and motioned for Jane to ask.

The man lifted half lidded eyes away from the magazine he was reading. “Yeah?”

Jane smiled, pointing to Loki. “My friend here wants to know if he can handle one of your snakes.”

The man sighed, looking annoyed by the request, but he moved away from behind the counter and to the boa cage. He pulled the snake out, and the snake wrapped itself warily around the man’s arm trying to get purpose. He unwrapped the snake and held it out to Loki now. “When you’re finished holding him, just set him back in the cage and put the lid back in place,” he stated apathetically.

Loki nodded, gently taking the snake and allowing it to curl itself around his arm. He watched as the man walked back to the counter. He felt a little silly wanting Jane to ask for him, but he still felt somewhat…awkward…being around mortals. Maybe it was a fear that they would recognize him from New York…or maybe it was the fact that he had been stripped of power and was now mortal. He wasn’t sure why. Jane, Darcy, and Sandra were mortal and he had no problem with them, but still. Loki looked down at the snake again, smiling and running a finger over its body. He carefully took hold of it and lifted its head to get a better look at the animal's face.

Jane moved closer to Loki, watching him play with the snake but kept a bit of a distance, obviously not overly comfortable with it. “So, you’re a fan of snakes then, eh?”

Loki lifted the animal to be level with his face, giving it a tiny kiss as he had done to the kittens. “Yes,” he replied. “Although we don’t have snakes like this in Asgard.” He ran his finger over the snake’s body again, noting the markings.

“No?” Jane was curious as her brow furrowed. “How are the snakes on Asgard different?”

Loki looked at her and then smiled. “I meant the species. We don’t have this type of snake in Asgard.” He unwound the snake a bit to get a better look at its body.

“Well, I’m sure. We have thousands of different types of snakes, and they vary from region to region,” she remarked.

“Too bad Darcy didn’t come with us.” Loki smirked. He held the snake out closer to Jane.

Jane shook her head. “There you go again! I swear you’re looking for ways to ensure she feels the need to pay you back.” She laughed.

"I can't help it. She's fun to pick at." Loki smiled. "Besides, isn't that what little brothers are supposed to do to big sisters?"

Jane inhaled deeply. “Only if you want said big sis to string you up by your pinky toes! Your funeral you know.” She had started looking at the shelves and the baubles it held for fish tanks, playing with one of the fake skulls that typically open in a gush of bubbles, and she had been using a finger to flip the top of the head as she spoke.

Loki smiled as he let the snake slither up his shoulder to coil itself around his neck.

Jane cringed, taking a step back just watching the snake wrapping around his neck. “You’re braver than me, Loki! I’d be afraid that thing would choke me out!”

Loki smirked mischievously. “You want to hold it?”

Jane shook her head, lifting an eyebrow. “Absolutely not, and don’t think about it. I won’t run screaming like Darcy, but I will pop your rear if you don’t respect my wishes.”

Loki’s eyes widened and darted over to the guy at the counter then back to Jane. He shook his head and made a shush gesture with his finger. His cheeks turned slightly red. He took a few steps away from Jane, stroking under the snake’s chin.

Jane glanced back at the man still reading his magazine, quite oblivious to the two, and turned back to Loki with a cheeky grin. “I’m just letting you know. If you do cross me, you’ll pay for it right then and there.”

Loki's brow scrunched up in worry, his cheeks still flushed. He nodded that he understood as he turned his eyes down to focus on the snake. He didn't want to think about spankings anymore. It was ruining is outing.

“Did you want to check out the rest of the shops?” Jane ventured, thinking Loki might find some of the other new age shops along the strip to be of interest to window shop in.

Loki gave a shrug. "I like it here." He brushed his cheek against the snake.

It was Jane’s turn to shrug. “Suit yourself. We’re in no hurry. I’m going to hold one of these kittens, though; you can play with the snake!” She gave him a smirk before moving over to the kittens and pulling one into her arms.

Loki smiled at Jane, then turned the smile down to the snake as he continued to stroke it. He never realized how much he missed having a pet. When he was growing up, he often preferred the company of animals since they never judged him or pushed him away or bullied him or criticized him for being himself. Animals and Frigga. Okay, Thor, too, as much as he hated admitting it. Finally, Loki took the snake off his neck and walked over to put it back in its tank, closing the lid. He turned and walked over to join Jane, reaching in to pick up a couple of the kittens. "I don't understand why some people are afraid of snakes. They're just animals."

“I’m not afraid of them. I just prefer not to touch them. Now Darcy? Darcy is deathly afraid of them. That’s why you were able to prank her so well,” Jane mused as she played with the kitten.

Loki nodded a look of thought washing over his face. He looked at Jane again. "What are you afraid of?"

She gave Loki a ‘you’re crazy if you think I’m going to tell you that!’ look. Her brow rose. “As much as you’ve teased Darcy? I don’t think it’s wise to give you any ammo, sir.” She chuckled.

Loki didn't laugh. "I won't use it against you," he said softly.

She gave him a very serious look before she proceeded, “Alright, but you’d best believe I’m holding you to that!” She smiled now. “Wasps…those things scare the crap out of me!”

Loki smiled. "Oh, believe me, you don't have to worry. I'm sure if I did try anything, you will let me know your displeasure." Loki didn't add that he would never think of scaring Jane because of his respect for her. Pranking Darcy was one thing, but Jane was different. Oh, he would prank Jane, too, there was no doubt about that, but he would prank her in different ways—preferably ones that weren't harmful. "I just wanted to know in case I ever have to protect you from it."

Jane nodded her assurance to Loki’s words. “Yes, if you ever teased me with wasps, we’d definitely be having a lengthy, painful discussion!”

Loki winced at the thought as he rubbed a kitten next to his cheek. He suddenly hoped Jane wouldn't ask what he feared.

Seeing Loki flinch from her words, Jane smirked. "But I know you wouldn't use my fears against me." She looked back at the kitten in her arms, petting it lovingly. "I've always been a fan of cats."

“No, I won’t,” Loki said. He watched Jane rub and cuddle the kitten and suddenly wished he could still shapeshift.

She smiled back at Loki now, leaning to rest her head on his shoulder. “Are you about ready to head out, or am I going to have to get you a kitten to take back to Asgard with you?” she teased.

Loki smiled, gently putting the kittens he had been holding back in their pen. “You said you wanted to go to some of the other shops?”

“Just wander around a bit and hang out with you. I figure it’s a good way to spend time while we work up an appetite. I’ll need to go get some groceries when I get back, so you can hang out with Thor and Darcy. I’m sure Darcy will want some one on one time with you before you head out,” Jane mused.

Loki nodded as he watched Jane put her kitten back where it belonged, and then he turned to follow Jane out of the pet store. They walked a short distance before Loki turned to her. “Um…Jane,” he said in a low voice, “would you…really swat me out in public?” What Jane had said to him in the pet store greatly unnerved him. He knew Thor wouldn’t hesitate to spank him publicly, but he had figured Jane as being the type to take him to a private place before confronting him in that manner.

Jane regarded him as she took in his question seriously. “Well, I gather that depends on you. For the most part, I’d like to think I could give you a warning to have you stop whatever you may be doing in public that would earn you a swat before it gets to that point. For most things, I think we could follow up alone, but that doesn’t mean I’m afraid to chastise you in public if the need calls.”

Loki gave a small nod, swallowing. “I understand.”

She grabbed him by the hand. “I’m hoping we can avoid giving you any more spankings at all, public or private.” Jane doubted that would be the case, but the thought of it was nice. She squeezed his hand as she pulled him down the street now.

Loki remained quiet as he kept pace beside Jane.

They passed several mundane clothing stores and a few knickknack stores that were catered to the elderly denizens of the area, but there was one antique store that always held interesting relics, so Jane stopped, pointing to the door. “Do you like antiques?”

Loki looked from the store to Jane, giving a slight shrug. “I really have no use for such items unless they're magical relics."

Jane rolled her eyes. “Oh, I see unless they pose a use to you they hold no interest, is it? Well, I’ll tell you what, we’ll walk down the strip and anything you find interesting, we’ll go ahead check out.”

“No, that’s okay,” said Loki. “If you want to look in this shop, we can.”

She shrugged. “I live here, so honestly, it doesn’t matter to me. I’d rather go places that you’re interested in than random places I’m already familiar with.”

Loki looked at Jane. “You forget that I’m the guest. I’m not familiar with everything about this…mortal way of life. I don’t know what I would be interested in on your realm, although I'm curious to learn more. Why don’t you just be my guide and show me around? I will go wherever you wish to take me…except for the hospital.” He looked at the antique store again. “If this store is special to you, then I will go in with you.”

“It’s not special to me; it’s just a fun place to look around. Since you seemed to like history, I thought it might have held an interest to you as well,” Jane explained.

Loki smiled and gestured with his hand for her to go in first.

Jane brightened as she walked in, looking at the shelves with the different relics, mostly jewelry and old paintings that decorated the walls. She pointed at an old 50’s advertisement poster. “These have always been fun to look at. It’s crazy how much times change in just fifty years. I imagine you’ve seen a LOT of change in your long life.”

Loki looked at the poster, then nodded. “Yeah, I have.” He turned to look around at the paintings and other knickknacks the store had to offer. He admitted that the items were pretty fascinating...for old mortal relics. Although the things he had seen at the museum had been far more interesting. "Why do you mortals set aside some items to put in museums and call them historical, but others you sell in shops like this? Shouldn't this stuff be in a museum, too?"

Jane chuckled. “You know, value is a funny thing. I’m sure if the items in this shop were around one hundred years from now, they will be in a museum.”

Loki slowly walked around the shop, occasionally picking up an item to examine closer when it especially perked his interest. Although he was careful since he didn’t want to risk breaking anything. He didn't know much about earth antiques, but judging from the way most of the stuff in the shop looked, he could guess they were fragile.

"Check this out." Jane laughed, picking up an archaic paddle with a catch phrase of, 'Spare the rod, spoil the child' etched into it.

Loki walked over to Jane’s side to look at whatever object she had found. His brow furrowed when his eyes rested on the paddle. He turned a questioning look to Jane. “What is it?”

Jane blushed to think he didn’t recognize it for what it was. She grinned. "Look at the saying...you'll figure it out."

Loki read the inscription a few times. The saying was unfamiliar to him, but he finally understood what it meant. He turned a worried look to Jane. “You mean, it’s for…?” he said softly, pointing to his bottom.

She giggled, finding the need to bring a hand to her mouth as she nodded, amused by the look on his face.

Loki swallowed, turning a look to the paddled again. "It looks like it would hurt," he said, concern in his voice. “How many…implements…do you have for this purpose?”

"Me? Oh, I don't have any that aren't make-shift implements like my hairbrush or the baking spatula, but there are specific implements that people have made through history just for the application of a good butt warming," she stated mirthfully.

“I didn’t mean you specifically. I just meant this realm in general. The only thing I had applied to me in Asgard was someone’s hand. And… that brief moment where Thor took a switch to me.” Loki’s cheeks flushed. He continued eyeing the paddle. "Then I come here and it's like everything can be used for it."

Her eyes went to the paddle now, thinking on Loki’s words. “Well, I suppose a lot of stuff can be used for it, but this,” She held up the piece of wood, “is called a paddle. Out of all the different types of spanking paraphernalia out there, this one is probably the most recognized…that and the belt or, as a lot of people refer to it, a strap.”

Loki took a few steps back. “You’re not buying that… _thing_.”

She laughed. “Should I?” She was, of course, just teasing him.

Loki chewed his bottom lip and shook his head no. He glanced around for whoever was minding the shop, hoping no one was listening to their conversation.

She gave him a soft smile as she placed the paddle back onto the display it had been propped on, flitting her eyes up to Loki and giving him a cheeky grin. “Well, if I ever do need something with a little more oomph, I guess I’ll know where to go, eh?”

Loki frowned, looking her up and down, then he looked at the paddle again. "You won't need something with more oomph," he quietly said.

She gently cupped his elbow, giving it an affectionate squeeze. “Come on. Let’s get out of here,” she half whispered.

He eagerly followed Jane. That was fine by him since he didn’t like the store anymore. Loki didn’t know why they couldn’t just have an outing where the conversation didn’t come around to the subject of his butt being tanned.

They exited onto the pavement, continuing to traverse the walkway that was now starting to gain more shoppers. Loki and Jane stopped in a few of the stores, milling about but not finding anything if real interest within them as they talked about the things they saw along the way. They were mostly questions on Loki’s behalf about different appliances and things he saw that were foreign to him, and Jane doing her best to explain them as he asked her a myriad of questions. Making it to the end of the shopping strip, the two crossed the street and began walking back to Jane’s place. “Well, did you like anything you saw…other than the snake and the kittens. I know you were fond of them.” She smiled.

Loki shrugged. “I don’t know. Like I said before we went into the antique store, I really don’t have much use for a lot of your Midgard items, since I don’t live here. I do find them intriguing. I wanted to learn more about Midgard, and I feel that I’ve done so on this outing.”

Jane nodded in understanding. “They say immersing yourself in a culture is the best way to understand it, so I can see why that would be helpful. Although, if you really wanted to get an understanding of Earth, you’d have to travel a lot more places than Texas!”

“Maybe someday when I get my power back,” Loki mused. His head suddenly perked. “Do you have a place around here that serves milkshakes?”

Jane’s smile widened. “You’re a fan of milkshakes, eh? I think that can be arranged.” She pointed up the street. “There’s a little hamburger joint up the road that has milkshakes, but it’s just almost eleven now, and I think that’s when they open, so it’ll probably take about thirty minutes before they can serve it. I still have to go get supplies at the grocery store for our picnic, but you might be able to go with Darcy and Thor while I go shopping.”

Loki gave a nod. He smirked at her expression. "Why do you always seem so amused whenever I tell you something I like?"

“I suppose it’s the simplicity of the joy it encompasses. It makes me happy to hear about the things you like,” Jane answered.

Loki smiled. "Alright. What if I told you that I love all breakfast meats? Bacon is my favorite, but I love any Midgard breakfast meats."

“Well, I knew about the bacon, but if you like all breakfast meats than we’ll make a point on your special day to take you out to IHOP. They are pretty famous for their breakfasts,” Jane offered.

Loki's smile widened. Then it faltered. "Already a month and a half seems too long," he said sadly.

Jane walked a step closer to him, leaning her head against his arm as she took his hand once more. “It’ll be over before you know it. You know what they say; absence makes the heart grow fonder.”

Loki smiled down at her. "I suppose you're right, _Mommy_ ," he teased.

“I’m always right,” she teased, giving him a squeeze around his waist.

"I'll thank you to get rid of that spatula and your hairbrush before I come back," he said with a smirk.

“Ha ha! Fat chance!” Jane shook her head with a smile.

Loki sighed. "Can't blame me for trying."

She chuckled. “No, I suppose not.”

The two continued to talk about various things for Jane to pick up for their picnic for the last of the jaunt back to Jane’s. As the two walked inside, the movie had already ended, and Darcy and Thor were chatting away.

“Welcome back!” Thor stated, getting up to give Jane a deep kiss.

“I’m about to head to the store to pick up a few items for the picnic, but I’ll be back in about an hour,” Jane advised.

Thor looked saddened to hear she was leaving again. “May I come with?”

Jane smiled and nodded her head. “Sure; it’s going to be boring, though."

He looked over at Loki and Darcy. “Are the two of you going to be okay by yourselves?”

“Go on! We’ll be fine, won’t we, Loki?” Darcy smiled, looking up at the trickster god from the couch.

Loki looked warily at Darcy. Even though he liked the girl more now than he did at first, he still wasn't thrilled with the idea of being alone with her without Jane and Thor being in the house. Finally, he sighed. "I suppose." He shot her a mischievous smile.

Jane smiled, grabbing her purse and digging in it. “Here.” She pulled out a ten dollar bill and handed it to Darcy. “I mentioned to Loki about the hamburger shop up the street having milkshakes, if you two want to go, that should cover you.”

Darcy took the bill, smiling. “Sounds good. The one up here on 52nd, right?” she affirmed, and Jane nodded.

Thor and Jane said their goodbyes as they got ready to head out to the store.

Loki watched Jane and Thor leave, then he turned a silent look to Darcy.

Darcy smiled playfully. “So then, milkshakes? I like the sound of that. Did you want to head out there now, or did you want to chill on the couch for a little bit?”

“I guess we could sit here awhile,” said Loki, walking around and gently seating himself on the couch, wincing. “Although sitting is the farthest thing from my mind at the moment.”

Darcy winced. “Hmm…I imagine not. Sorry about that, bro. You don’t want a tush massage now, do you?” she lightly teased.

Loki turned a pained expression to Darcy. “Actually, that might feel good, if you aren’t too rough.”

Darcy raised an eyebrow. “You know, I can’t believe I’m offering this but, Jane has this cooling crème. If you want, I can apply that. It might help the sting to go down and heal a bit?”

Loki’s face quickly turned red as he slid down and slouched in his seat. It took him awhile but he finally, slowly turned to look at Darcy. He studied her silently, not really sure if she was serious or jesting.

“Well?” She looked serious enough with no hint of laughter on her lips.

Loki swallowed and cleared his throat. “Erm…I-I guess so…” His voice sounded partly squeaky. “As long as Jane and Thor don’t find out. I don’t know if they would appreciate me doing something to ease some of the pain.”

She gave a small chuckle. “What they don’t know, eh? Uh, I guess go ahead and head to your room and I’ll meet you back there with the crème,” Darcy stated as she rose from the couch, heading back to Jane’s bathroom.

Loki stiffly got to his feet and slowly made his way to his bedroom, still not believing he was doing this. But he wanted relief, especially since he would be putting his leather pants back on after the picnic. He sighed and unzipped his jeans, pulling them down to his knees, leaving his boxers in place. He crawled tummy down on the bed and waited for Darcy. His cheeks still blushed red as he grabbed a pillow to put under his head.

Darcy didn’t take long to reappear. She looked down at his butt, steeling herself to do the task she told Loki she would. Darcy didn’t really want to touch Loki’s butt, but she also didn’t want to see him in pain, so she had suggested the crème, now she was having second thoughts. She shook her head, she could do this right? I mean, it’s only skin, right? She still flushed red as she sat down next to him and opened the lid to the jar. Looking at Loki now, she exclaimed, “Uh… you’re going to have to lose the boxers, dude. I can’t apply this through your clothes…although I’m sure that would be preferable to both of us.”

Loki sensed Darcy’s hesitancy and he managed an amused smirk, despite the fact that his cheeks were still red. He reached to pull his boxers down, stopping. “Are you sure you want to spend our last day like this?”

She rolled her eyes, shaking her head vigorously. "We are not spending the rest of our day doing this, believe me! One quick application and then it's milkshake time!"

Still smirking, Loki said nothing more as he pulled his boxers down to his thighs, revealing his still very red backside. He now felt awkward and couldn’t bring himself to look back at Darcy as he buried his face in his pillow.

Darcy hissed as if she were the one in pain. “Wow! Ouch!” she commented as she dug two fingers into the jar to pull out the crème. She was surprisingly gentle as she lightly applied dots of moisturizer onto various points of his skin. She globed bits of the crème around enough to evenly disperse the lotion over his sore posterior and back of his thighs. She then slowly smoothed the lotion across Loki’s flesh, taking her time as she rubbed the healing ointment in. “Does that feel better?” she queried.

Loki squirmed, finding the cream cold when it was first applied, and then there was the awkward and uncomfortable sensation of Darcy’s hand rubbing the ointment in. His cheeks turned a deeper shade of red that burned up to his ears. The cream did feel good once she started rubbing it in, he had to admit, but he now wished he’d told Darcy he would apply it himself.

“Y-yes it does,” he replied. “Just…don’t ever let this moment leave this room.” He put the pillow over his head.

“No problem! Believe me!” Darcy wouldn’t say a word as it was just as embarrassing for her to be the one applying it to his backside. She smeared a thick coat over the entirety of his bottom, and, giving a curt nod that she felt the job was done well, she stood, recapping the jar. “Okay, we’re done here. I’m going to put this away and wash my hands…like five times, and I’ll meet you in the living room.”

Loki looked up at her, making a face and then smirking. “I told you that I bathe frequently.”

She laughed as she opened the door to leave. “Dude, I was just rubbing your butt, I’m unlucky enough that I can’t scrub my brain clean.” She gave him a wink to let him know she was teasing him.

Loki pulled his boxers back in place. “You know, I could tease you really good right now.”

She shouted, her voice now reverberating off the hallway wall, “Don’t you do it, Loki!”

Loki grinned, easing off the bed and pulling his jeans up, zipping them. He still winced a little, but he did have to say that his backside felt better. He slowly walked toward Darcy, grinning from ear to ear. “You rubbed the trickster’s butt.”

“Oh, shut up!” she groaned from the bathroom. “I only did it because it was so well-spanked.” She giggled, feeling the mention of his spanking would get him back.

Loki blushed again as he made his way into the living room. “Yeah, well, don’t go blabbing that around either.”

She was still giggling as she made her way out of the bathroom. “Are you ready for a mean milkshake now?”

Loki’s face immediately brightened as he nodded. “Yes!”

“Good!” she chirped, yanking his hand and running to the door and then quickly out of it with Loki in tow, peeling laughter all the way.

When Loki realized what had happened, he pulled back on Darcy’s hand. “Whoa! Stop, stop,” he said, smiling and skidding to a stop.

She tittered, eyes looking wild as she smiled from ear to ear. “Oh, come on, Loki, where’s your sense of fun? Run with me!” She tugged at his hand to urge him to run with her.

Loki gave her the most serious look he could muster. Then he grinned and took off running past her and down the sidewalk as fast as his soreness would allow. “I can’t believe you just fell for that!” he shouted over his shoulder.

“Wait for me!” She laughed as she jetted after him.

Loki slowed down to a walk, giving Darcy a chance to catch up. He was still grinning when he turned around to look at her.

“You know,” she panted, catching her breath, “you can’t get the milkshake without me.” She pulled out the ten to flash it before sticking it back in her pocket. “Okay…enough of that!” Darcy huffed as she slumped, walking tiredly from the jaunt.

“I know,” he replied. “I just thought you wanted to race.”

“Well, with your long legs, I’m at an incredible disadvantage.” She smirked as they continued walking down the road towards the burger shop. 

Loki kept grinning, extending an arm to put around the girl’s shoulders, pulling her closer to him. “I never thought I’d hear myself say this, but I’m going to miss you.”

She giggled, hugging him back. “Ditto,” she said before using this new vulnerability to tickle his side.

Loki giggled and jerked away from her. “Don’t do that out in public.”

She chuckled as they approached the door to the restaurant, pulling it open for him to enter. “Oh, okay. Yes, we’ll keep it as a super-secret tickle then.”

Loki walked in and stood to the side as he waited for Darcy to enter. He timidly looked around him at the tables and chairs. For some reason, he always felt awkward walking into a store or other place on Midgard. He didn't know why. There was just a part of him that felt like he didn't fully belong there.

Darcy skipped into the restaurant cheerfully without a care in the world. She moved over to one of the back tables, sliding into a booth and pulling one of the menus down from the holder to flip to the milkshakes.

Loki had followed her, easing himself gently into the booth opposite of her and putting his hands on the table. He continued to glance curiously around him, looking at the humans that were scattered around, either sipping coffee or eating. One man seated by one of the windows was half hidden behind the newspaper he was busy reading.

Darcy pointed at the menu, having found the shake section. “So, they have the basic strawberry, chocolate, and vanilla which are okay, but if you’re feeling adventurous, they have additives that you can put in the shakes like peanut butter, banana, fudge…just all kinds of tasty stuff!”

Loki looked down at the menu, taking a minute to decide, then he looked at Darcy. “I’ll take chocolate.”

She nodded. “Okay; no additives?”

As Darcy asked this, a waitress came up to their table. “Good afternoon! Welcome to Sal’s! My name is Rebecca, and I’m going to be your waitress. Can I start you off with something to drink?”

Darcy shook her head. “Uh, no, no. We’re just going to get a couple shakes. I’m going to get the chocolate peanut butter shake, and, Loki, you still only want a plain chocolate shake?”

"Yes, just plain." Loki nodded. He looked at the waitress.

The waitress nodded. “Alright, coming right up!” She walked away, heading behind the counter to fix their shakes.

Darcy shook her head. “Dude, you’re totally missing out, man! Just try mine when it comes, and you’ll see what I mean.”

Loki gave a shrug as he leaned back, moving his hands down into the seat to sit on them.

Darcy smirked, watching his actions. “Did the crème not help enough?” she teased.

Loki scowled, shushing her. "Yes and no," he replied softly. "Yes, it helped to soothe, but, no, it didn't take away the soreness." He looked at Darcy. "By the way, thanks.”

Darcy grinned from ear to ear. “No prob, bro.” She was amused to tease him in this way, but she didn’t go overboard, wanting to keep it civil. She seemed to sober then. “So…you guys are really leaving today then, huh?”

Loki looked down at the table. "Yes," he said softly. "I asked Thor for another day, but he just said we could stay half of the day." Loki really didn't want to be reminded of it, not now. He didn't want to start crying where everyone could see him. He looked at Darcy again, forcing a smirk. He wasn't about to let her teasing go without payback. He leaned forward, putting his arms on the table. "Come on, admit it, my butt is cute, right?" he whispered, giving her a playful wink.

She rolled her eyes to the ceiling, grinning widely. “You are impossible!” she growled through a laugh.

With a smug smile on his face, Loki leaned back in his seat. "Tease me and you get teased back. Also, I didn't hear an answer."

She looked at him smugly. “Okay, Loki, yes, you have a cute butt. Are you happy now?” She was blushing fiercely now.

A satisfied smile played across his lips. Darcy blushing was an added bonus. Loki leaned forward again. "I'm just picking at you."

She shook her head. “When are you not?” She was smiling, though, so no offense was obviously taken.

Rebecca arrived then with both of their shakes. Each shake was coated in whipped cream and topped with a cherry.

Loki looked at his shake, then back to Darcy. "What are you going to do when I leave?"

Darcy sank down in her seat, taking a pull of her shake and turning it to Loki. “Try it.” His words registered fully now, and she grimaced. “Well, I’ve got class tomorrow, so I guess just keep going for my master’s degree. I had an internship with Jane, so she’s my contact for my thesis, so no real problem there, but I still have to attend all these droll classes the university is making me take in order to get the degree. No fun times a thousand, believe me!” She sighed.

Loki nodded, trying Darcy's shake. "It's good, but this is better." Loki winked, taking a sip of his own shake.

Darcy nodded. "If you say so! I'm not buying it." She winked at him.

Loki smiled as he sipped at his milkshake.

The two sat sipping on their milkshakes in silence for a little while before Darcy spoke up again. “I wish we could have had more milkshakes together…” She sniffled, wiping away a tear that had spilled past her glasses.

Loki looked at her, then down at the table. "Me, too," he said softly. He looked at her again. "But...I'm going to be back for Jane's birthday. I wish I could stay here, but Thor has to go back to Asgard, and I have to...go with him."

Darcy nodded solemnly. “I…I know. It just sucks that just when things start going so well that…well, you guys have to go. I am happy that you’ll be back, though.”

"Yeah, I know." Loki fingered the napkin under his glass. "I finally feel like I belong somewhere, and I have to give it up...even if it is for a month and a half."

“What’re you going to do when you get back to Asgard?” Darcy was curious now.

"Like I told Jane…probably nothing. Thor will drag me around to who knows where, and I'll be bored out of my mind."

Darcy grimaced. “Well, that sounds kind of crappy. Maybe it won’t be so bad? Who knows right? Maybe Thor will take you somewhere cool that you weren’t expecting?”

"He said he was going to let me pick out some sort of adventure for us to go on," Loki said with a sigh. "Any other time I would have jumped at the chance, but now...I just want to stay here with you and Jane."

Darcy perked. “An adventure? That’s something to look forward to! You’ll have a really fun tale to tell us when you come back!” Darcy worked to cheer them both up.

"Yeah, I guess..." Loki replied. "But what kind of adventure? I've done just about everything there is to do unless I ask Thor about bringing Mother back. But I'm pretty sure I know what he'll say to that."

“Can you bring her back? I mean, wouldn’t that cause some crazy imbalance or something?” Darcy seemed worried about the consequences.

Loki shrugged. "I don't know. I've never tried it before." He frowned. "The part I'm concerned with is getting through Hela. That won't be easy."

Darcy nodded gravely. “I don’t suppose you can just go and visit her whenever can you?”

“That’s something I would have to talk over with Hela,” he replied.

Darcy’s eyes widened. “You gods just trip me out. I just can’t even imagine…” Darcy was shaking her head in disbelief as she considered going to the underworld to visit dead people.

Loki raised an eyebrow, not fully understanding.

Seeing the lost expression on Loki’s face, Darcy expounded, “It…just…I don’t know, it blows my mind the stuff you guys can do…like, go to other planes of existence. I mean…that’s pretty dang awesome!”

Loki smiled. "I guess it is pretty impressive to a mortal. To us, it's just as common as you traveling to another country or state, only traveling to another realm is a bit more dangerous, depending on what realm it is."

She was impressed for certain. “It’s pretty dang cool. A lot cooler than driving to another state. What kind of dangers?”

Loki shrugged. “The wild creatures you encounter there, and also the residents. Some of the realms don’t have the friendliest residents, especially when it comes to the trolls, fire demons, and Surtur himself. And you do remember Malekith and his Dark Elves, right? And there’s also…the Jotun...” Loki’s eyes fell to the table. “And Hela isn’t exactly a cup of sunshine.”

Darcy looked worried now. “Maybe going there isn’t such a good idea then?”

“I don’t know,” said Loki, a bit uncertain now. "I'm pretty sure Thor will be against it when I ask him."

“But you said he promised to take you where you wanted to go? Thor’s not one to go back on his word,” Darcy offered. She wasn’t fully sure if she agreed with the venture, but she also thought it might do Loki some good to have some bit of closure.

“Yeah he did, but…I don’t know if that includes Hel.” Loki looked up at Darcy.

She crooked her head to the side, raising an eyebrow. “Well, I guess you’ll never know until you ask him, eh?”

Loki nodded. “I will. But…I’m just looking forward to being back here with you and Jane.” He smiled.

She slurped the last of her shake, giving him a wink. “Ditto.”


	31. Final Picnic

Loki and Darcy continued talking about various topics on Asgard’s treacherous lands to their society since Darcy was avidly interested in Asgardian culture, and Loki was a good recorder of such things as history and geography of the lands. They spent so long talking that Darcy sat up with a start, looking at the time. “Oh, man! It’s almost one! We’ve been here two hours! We need to get back before Thor and Jane come looking for us,” Darcy stated, slightly startled by the loss of time.

Loki eased himself out of the booth and followed Darcy, watching as she paid for the milkshakes. Then the two of them raced back to Jane's home as quickly as they could.

Jane and Thor had been pacing about when they came in, looking up, relieved.

“Oh, good! We were about to head up to the burger joint to come fetch you two!” Jane smiled, instantly relaxing.

Thor said nothing, but it was obvious he was also calmed as his shoulders, that were once rigid, sagged into a comfortable position, and he smiled at the two.

Loki nervously glanced at Thor as if he were in trouble. "We were talking," he explained.

Thor nodded sagely. "I'm glad you had a good time." He had been worried a little, but unlike last time that Loki had disappeared, he also had Darcy with him, and Thor didn't doubt Darcy wouldn't be quick to let them know he'd escaped if that had been the issue for the long absence.

Darcy looked at both Thor and Jane sheepishly. "Sorry for the delay."

Jane waved her off. "It’s fine. The extra time gave me more of a chance to get everything prepared for the picnic.”

The picnic. Then afterward he and Thor would head back to Asgard. Slowly, Loki walked over to stand beside Jane.

Seeing the sorrow in his eyes, Jane reached out to encompass an arm around him. "You doing okay?" she asked softly just between the two of them.

"I guess," he quietly replied. He shoved his hands into his pockets. His voice wavered like he was holding back tears.

Jane squeezed him tighter. "Come on, you can help me load up the car," she said gently, thinking he needed a distraction.

Loki nodded, following along beside Jane into the kitchen.

Jane had packed several different dishes: deviled eggs, carrot sticks, grapes, apple slices, cheese cubes, tuna sandwich squares neatly cut into finger foods, crackers, cookies, and a couple large thermoses filled with sweet tea and apple juice. There was also utensils, cups, plates, and napkins already packed in a bag. All the items were ready to go and neatly packaged on the kitchen table. By the front door were a few blanket rolls and four chairs, for if the ground got to be uncomfortable, ready to be packed into the van.

Jane motioned to the food. “Just grab some of the food bags and head to the back of the van with them. Thor has already placed the ice chest in the back and filled it with the ice we’ll need.”

Loki did as Jane said, grabbing as much as he could carry at one time. He walked through the living room and to the front door. Here he hesitated, looking over at Thor. He wasn’t sure if he should go out alone. What if Thor thought he was trying to escape again? If it was up to him, he’d just go on out without thinking twice about it, but he really didn’t want Thor’s wrath coming down on him again.

“Uh, Thor…?” said Loki. “Am…am I allowed to take these to the van?”

“Of course, why wouldn’t you?” Thor seemed surprised by the question.

Loki shook his head. “I just…didn’t want you to think I was trying to escape.”

Thor gave him a soft smile. “I think we’re beyond that…are we not?”

A small smile appeared on Loki’s lips as he gave a quick nod. Were they? It was true that he had found something better on Midgard, at Jane’s house, and he had no plans for running away again, but he still felt a deep, inner pull. Perhaps it stemmed from his rebellious nature—there was something there that still abhorred Thor’s leash on him. But he knew he wouldn’t be able to get far even if he wanted to run away. He was powerless and mortal, and he knew Heimdall would alert Thor of his location, which would end in another spanking and maybe worse…him being thrown back into that dreadful prison cell. Besides...it would hurt Thor and now Jane. He couldn't bear the thought of hurting and disappointing Jane anymore.

Loki turned and headed out to the van with his load. He did feel a bit of excitement over the fact that Thor apparently trusted him enough to let him go outside by himself. That was a step in the right direction, he thought. He put the sacks in the back of the van, turned, and headed toward the house again. He walked through the door and to the kitchen.

“I put them in the van just like you told me to,” Loki proudly announced to Jane.

Jane was gathering up a handful of supplies herself as she smiled. “Good, Thor is grabbing the chairs, and Darcy the blankets, so we’re about ready to head to the park. Let’s go.” Thor and Darcy were already placing their items inside the van as Jane came around the backside of the van.

Loki followed after Jane, getting into the van and seating himself on the seat he’d occupied when they went camping. He took a moment to look around the vehicle. It was the first time he’d been inside it since they came home from the hospital. He shuddered at the memories, running a hand down his arm.

Darcy hopped into the van, sidling up next to Loki and laying her head on his shoulder. She set her arm elbow to elbow on Loki’s thigh as she grabbed his hand and gave it a loving squeeze. She knew this would be their last outing, and it was really starting to hit her.

Jane and Thor both climbed into the van, setting in. Thor looked back to see the scene with Loki and Darcy and smiled as Jane put the vehicle in gear.

“The park isn’t far, it’s in walking distance actually, but the area of the park I’m thinking of going is on the other side of the lake, and I didn’t think anyone wanted to tote all that stuff in the back a three-mile jaunt,” Jane stated. “That said, we should be able to enjoy lunch very soon.”

Loki smiled, leaning his head against Darcy’s. "A three-mile jaunt," he mused. "That sounds familiar..."

Jane laughed. “Except this time we’re not walking it!”

Darcy remarked, relieved, “Thank God!”

Loki snuggled closer to Darcy. “At least I won’t have to share a tent with Darcy.”

She chuckled lightly, the sound reverberating through her and into his chest due to their close proximity. She squeezed his hand again in answer, feeling too sad to make a joke.

The ride seemed steeped in a gloom that settled over everyone, knowing that their little family was about to be going their separate ways after this last meal. It was of course not sitting well with any of them.

Jane and Thor held hands as she drove, and once they’d made it to the section of the park where they planned to picnic, she placed the van in park and sat there still holding Thor’s hand as the vehicle idled. She announced in a soft whisper, “We’re here, guys.”

Loki heard her, but he didn't make any efforts to move or respond. Instead, he remained as he was while picking at his pants leg.

They all sat for long moments without moving or speaking until Jane finally turned the van off and pulled the key from the ignition. She still didn’t speak as she opened her door and exited the van.

Thor followed suit, opening the side door for Darcy and Loki to exit the van as he made his way to the back of the van where Jane had already popped the trunk and was unloading the van’s contents for their picnic.

Darcy still sat, staring at her and Loki’s hands clasped together. She mumbled sadly, “I guess this is it, huh?” She didn’t move, though, not wanting to progress to the next step in this journey.

"I guess," Loki said softly.

Jane appeared in the doorway, looking at the two. “Darcy? Loki? Are you coming?”

Darcy sighed, moving lethargically towards the door as she muttered sadly, “Yeah, I’m coming.”

Loki remained seated, looking down at his hands in his lap. He suddenly wasn't hungry. In fact, he wasn't sure how he was going to get through the picnic without making some sort of scene that he'd rather not make in public.

“Loki?” Jane offered lightly, waiting to see if Loki wanted to talk.

Loki slowly looked up at Jane, then down at his lap again.

Jane climbed into the van to sit next to Loki now as she asked sweetly, “Care to talk about it?”

“What’s to talk about?” Loki answered. “We’re going to leave after we eat. I won’t see you when I wake up in the morning.”

Jane laid her hand on his knee. “I know, Loki, but that’s not going to change. You can’t control that, but what you can control is how you spend these last couple hours we have together. You can be unhappy, or you can enjoy what time we have. It’s your choice.”

Loki leaned over and wrapped his arms around Jane, pulling her closer to him and burying his face in her shoulder and around her neck. He closed his eyes tightly, a few tears trailing down his cheeks.

She held him tightly, letting Loki’s sorrow flow through him, so he could move past it, and she too let her own tears fall, wanting to embrace the sadness if just for a moment to heal.

Loki didn't want to pull away. He wanted to remain in the position he was in, but he knew he couldn't. Finally, he forced himself to let go. He looked down at Jane with reddened, tear-filled eyes, not really knowing what to say. He sniffed some tears back and wiped his face on his sleeve.

She leaned closer, giving him a small kiss on the forehead before wiping away her own tears. “Are you ready now?” she said softly, giving him a small smile.

"No," Loki replied. "But I'll go with you anyway." He got up and walked past Jane and stepped out of the van.

That was good enough for Jane as she followed him out, shutting up the van and moving to help with the supplies. The group didn’t really talk as they moved across the lake front until Jane spotted a nice shaded area for them to settle down at that overlooked the lake. “This is nice, eh?” she asked.

Thor gave a nod and a sad smile. “It is, Jane. Very.”

Darcy having carried the blankets moved to start unfolding them and placing them for everyone to sit.

Loki said nothing as he followed after Jane. He wasn't very thrilled by the view of the lake, still remembering what resulted from the last lake he'd been in. He had no problem with the body of water in general, but the sight of it brought back memories he wished to leave buried. He wrinkled his nose and turned away from it, gingerly taking a seat next to Jane.

Jane began methodically unpacking the food as both Thor and Darcy also joined them on the blanket.

Darcy worked to pop the tops off the food as Jane laid them out, and Thor pulled out the plates and cups to pass them around.

“I pretty much got all finger foods to make it easy to eat, so go ahead and help yourselves, guys,” Jane said as she took the plate from Thor and plucked an apple slice from the container.

Darcy and Thor started following suit, taking little bits of the foods to put on their plates as well now.

Loki was in no hurry to eat. He lazily put a sandwich on his plate and leaned against Jane, smiling.

She leaned into him as well, taking a cheese cube to pop it into his mouth with a titter.

Loki accepted the piece of cheese, but not without giving a displeased look, sitting up. "Is there an extra blanket I can use?" he said suddenly.

Everyone seemed surprised by the question, and Jane answered, “I brought two; the other one is next to the cooler. Why?”

"I...uh..." Loki's cheeks flushed. "The ground is too hard. I need more padding." He tucked his hands underneath him.

“Here you go, bro.” Darcy quickly grabbed the blanket and passed it to him. She had a look of sympathy on her face, knowing it likely embarrassed him to ask that and be made to explain. If this wasn’t their last meal, she would have teased him, but now, she just didn’t have the heart to do so since he already looked so sad.

"Thank you," Loki replied, quickly grabbing the blanket from Darcy, folding it, and pushing it under him. After getting it situated, he quickly turned his attention to eating.

There was an awkward silence that ensued right after the event, but everyone seemed to realign and then eventually engage in casual conversation as they ate. Jane nudged Loki as she smiled. "I bought a whole loaf of bread just to feed the ducks."

Loki smiled and nodded, automatically looking over at the ducks on the lake. "Speaking of animals, I would very much like to go back to that pet store when we return. I am also looking forward to the trip to the...aquarium."

Jane was happy that Loki was talking positively now. She nodded, taking a bite of the mini sandwich. “We’re going to have a blast! Whenever you guys are planning to come down, I’ll have the whole week booked off, and maybe some money saved up, so we can really paint the town.”

“Even though I know we’ll be back, I still don’t feel happy,” said Loki with a sigh. "I don't want to go back." He looked up at Thor.

Thor sighed; he knew this was coming. “Loki, I know that you are unhappy, just as I know you do not wish to return home, but whether you wish to return home or not, that is where we will be going. Steel yourself to this reality and it will become much less difficult for you.”

Knowing it wasn’t their place to weigh in on such things, Darcy and Jane remained quiet.

“I don’t understand. You’re always saying that you still love and care about me even after all I’ve done. You want to see me change and you’re trying to teach me during this time that I’ve been stripped of power. But whenever I’m finally happy, you take me away from it. Why?” Loki turned watery eyes to Thor, searching his face for an answer.

Thor’s brow drew down. “While I’m pleased that you have found happiness here, Loki, you too must reconcile with Father. I also have matters that I need to attend to back in Asgard.”

Loki scowled. He wanted to say more— _a lot_ more—but he figured he’d better shut his mouth. Or better yet he shoved a sandwich in and chewed in silence. He didn’t know why he had to reconcile with Odin. The old man didn’t care anything about him. He couldn’t please Odin no matter what he did. Odin had made it quite clear that he was nothing but a thorn in his side. Why should he even go back to a place where he wasn’t wanted?—where he was shoved to the side and forgotten? He still didn’t understand why he couldn’t just stay with Jane. He was powerless and mortal. It wasn’t like he was going to change into a bird and fly out the window.

The conversation began again shakily after several long minutes of silence carried on between them. Darcy initiated it, “So, Loki and I were talking about Asgardian adventures, Thor, and Loki was telling me about all the adventures you guys have been on.”

Thor seemed to loosen a bit, rounding his shoulders. “Oh? Yes. We have had many grand adventures to be true. We will have another once I have finished a few necessary tasks in the city.”

Loki glanced over at Thor.

Thor gave him a soft smile of reassurance. “Have you thought any more about what kind of adventure you’d like to partake in, Loki?”

Darcy was lifting her eyebrows as if to say, ‘Ask now, stupid!’

Loki stared at Darcy, then his eyes slowly moved to Thor. He hesitated, not exactly sure whether he should say or not.

“I-I want to go to Niflheim. To bring back…” Loki quickly glanced around him at the faces that stared back at him, “To bring back Mother, or at least...speak with her again.” He wasn’t sure how that sounded to Jane and Thor.

Jane squeezed his hand to show her support.

Thor looked as though he’d been slapped in the face. He really hadn’t expected that. “Loki…? I…that’s a dangerous journey. Would you truly wish to risk it? We may not even find Mother’s spirit among the dead.”

Loki looked at Jane before turning his eyes back to Thor. “I know it will be dangerous, but…we’ve been on dangerous adventures before.”

Darcy couldn’t help put clap her hands together excitedly and lunge over to give Loki a hug. “You see! I told you!” she squealed, overjoyed for him because she knew how much doubt he’d held to ask Thor at all.

Loki smiled at Darcy, although his face held a look of worry. “I guess I will have to be more careful than normal. I mean…since I’m powerless and…mortal.” He had to force the last word out.

Thor grimaced. “I will speak to Father on this. I gave you my word, so we will see if he can grant you a boon for this quest at least. I still wish to speak to him about the frailty of your immune system. I am hoping he finds mercy to grant you immunization for our next return to Midgard.”

It was Loki's turn to grimace. “Must you use that word to describe it?”

Everyone except for Loki couldn’t help but laugh at Loki’s indignation of the simple word. Since it was now the past, they could all safely laugh about it together.

Loki wasn’t sure what he had said that was so funny. “Seriously, I mean it. You make it sound as if…as if I’m going to get shots like Jane told me about.”

Thor chuckled. “From Father? Let us hope not, dear brother!”

It was a frightening thought, and one he knew he didn't have to worry about. So Loki couldn't pass up the golden opportunity to tease Thor. "Why, what's wrong, Thor? You look nervous." He smirked.

“I look nervous? In what capacity?” Thor mused.

Loki shrugged, his smirk turning into an amused smile. “Let us hope not, dear brother!” he repeated Thor's words, doing his best impersonation of Thor. “Shots coming from Odin.”

Thor blinked. “That would be terrible indeed!”

"Oh, come now. Is Thor, the mighty god of thunder, actually scared of the thought of that?" Loki's smile widened. He turned and winked at Jane.

Thor looked flustered, turning to Loki, seeing what he was doing before he smiled. “I would not be the one in need of immunization, brother.” He quirked his lip to draw into a small smirk.

Loki’s smile immediately fell, his face turning paler than normal. He cleared his throat, nervously looking around at Jane and Darcy. He turned back to Thor. “Pity. I would actually find it amusing to see you hauled off to the healing room to have a needle jabbed in your rear.”

Thor chuckled. “I’m sure you would, Loki. What is that phrase? Do unto others as you’d have done to you? Should I tell Father this, too?”

“N-no! Please…don’t.” Loki shook his head vigorously. He scooted closer to Jane as if she would help to protect him.

Jane couldn’t help giving Loki a small laugh as she squeezed his thigh.

Darcy was sitting next to him still, and she laughed a little louder as she snorted. “Wow, you totally had that coming!” she teased.

Thor was also smiling from ear to ear, letting Loki know he really was just jesting with him.

Loki gave Darcy a nudge to the shoulder, his cheeks flushing. He turned an unamused look to Thor. "I knew you were jesting all along." His mouth worked nervously. "But, while we're on the subject. Odin doesn't have to know about anything that's gone on here."

Thor shrugged. “If you are asking me to lie to Father about your progress, Loki, I will not. You forget that Odin is the one who assigned you to me, and it is he that, very invested in your future, asked me to guide you.”

Loki grimaced. "Okay." He sighed. "Just don't tell him about...certain things."

Thor shook his head. “I will not offer that information, Loki, but if he asks, I will also not deny him the truth.”

Loki groaned, leaning against Jane.

Jane leaned into him as well, petting the side of his face sympathetically.

“I would not worry so much about your embarrassment as what you plan to tell Father that you have learned on our trip. I am more than certain he will wish to evaluate for himself the state of your rehabilitation over just taking my word for it.”

Loki nervously looked over at Thor. "I tell him? About what?"

Thor looked puzzled. “What do you mean about what? Whatever Father wishes to know, of course. I will not pretend to know what the All-Father will wish to know, Loki, but he is invested in your future, so best to expect he will wish a report of some kind.”

Loki looked down, then he looked at Jane.

Jane wrapped her arms around him, giving him a hug. “Try not to worry so much about it.”

“Hey, this conversation is putting me in the dumps; let’s go feed the ducks already,” Darcy offered as a way to help Loki escape the thoughts that accompanied Thor’s current topic. Loki would have plenty of time to worry about that later, Darcy thought.

Loki smiled, returning Jane’s hug. Then he turned to Darcy, giving her a smile. "Okay."

Darcy beamed, hopping to her feet, and Thor did the same, offering a hand to help both Jane and Loki up simultaneously.

Loki hesitated, scowling at Thor's outstretched hand. He sighed and took it, allowing Thor to pull him up on his feet. "I could have gotten up on my own."

Jane was lifted alongside him, and she poked him in the side. “Loki…be nice. I could have gotten up on my own too, but Thor wanted to be helpful.”

Darcy grabbed the loaf of bread, pulling out a few slices and passing them out.

Loki managed a small smile at Jane poking him as he took a slice of bread from Darcy.

Jane grabbed Loki’s hand then and led him towards the lakeside as Thor and Darcy followed suit. Jane reached the lakeside and let Loki’s hand go to start breaking up pieces of bread to toss into the water, immediately catching several ducks’ attention as they swam towards the chunks of bread.

Loki pinched off pieces of the bread to toss to the ducks. "I wish you were going back with me," he softly said to Jane.

“Who knows what the future holds… Either way, we will get to be together again before you know it.” She leaned against Loki as she spoke, throwing another piece of bread to the ducks that now circled around, plucking bread from the water and eagerly looking for more.

Darcy and Thor were adding their bread as well, drawing in more ducks.

Darcy laughed, running back, away from the water as three ducks started chasing after her for the bread loaf that they recognized as the source of food.

Loki smiled amusingly at Darcy, then he turned back to Jane, sighing. "I know, but..." He hesitated, "I feel safe here with you," he whispered.

Jane peered at him with concern as she whispered back, “Are…are you worried that someone will harm you when you get back to Asgard?”

"Yeah, all of Asgard," he joked, although he didn't smile. He remained quiet a few minutes. He wanted to tell Jane about his fears. He knew he'd never get another chance to do it if he didn't do it now. But for some reason, he couldn't. He didn't want her to worry about him. He kept his eyes on the ducks.

Jane watched him quietly, still with a pang of worry etching her brow. She wanted to press further, but she also didn't want to work him up.

Loki looked at Jane. He chewed at his lip as he thought. Finally, he silently motioned with his head for her to follow him as he slowly walked down the side of the lake, away from Darcy and Thor.

Jane watched him curiously, swiveling her eyes to see Darcy and Thor still joyfully carrying on feeding the ducks. Not asking why she followed him.

Loki led Jane a little way down the bank before glancing over his shoulder to make sure Thor and Darcy weren’t following. He threw the last of the bread to the ducks, not bothering to look at Jane.

“I-I…” he tried to start. “There’s something I haven’t told anyone.” He hesitated again, not really sure why he was choosing to tell Jane. He searched for the right words.

"Oh?" Jane studied him, noticing the look on his face was grave. "Why don't you tell me about it."

Loki kicked at the ground. “When I was…still in the hands of the Chitauri…The Other threatened me. Said if I failed the mission in New York that I would…feel more pain.” The last word almost died in his throat. “Thanos himself even threatened me when he and the Chitauri were…doing unspeakable things to me. It’s safe to say I failed the Chitauri and Thanos. With that being said…I’m just…” Loki shrugged, “I’m scared they will find me in Asgard. It won’t be hard for them to do. They know who I am and where I came from. I’m sure Thanos knows Thor took me back there after everything that happened. Jane, I have nightmares of it all. Even during this visit I’ve had several nights where I’ve woken up in the middle of the night shaking and in a cold sweat from horrible dreams—images of when I was with the Chitauri.”

Feeling the need to comfort him, she reached her arm around Loki and pulled him to her. "You think that the Chitauri are looking for you? I thought Tony sealed them and Thanos away when the Avengers fought you and them?"

Loki wrapped an arm around Jane, chuckling at her words. “Stark thinks he sealed them away, but Thanos has his ways of getting around. So do the Chitauri. You have to remember that Asgard is another universe. Thanos won’t stop until he gets what he wants. And once he gets what he wants, your pathetic Avengers won’t be able to stop him. Believe me, Jane, something big is coming.” He squeezed Jane tighter to him. “I don’t know for certain if the Chitauri are looking for me or not, but I have a feeling I’m on their hit list for when they do run across me again.” He shuddered. “I don’t ever want to see them again.”

"Wouldn't you be safer in the safety of the city of Asgard with all their technology and Odin's magic," Jane wondered out loud.

Loki shrugged. He knew more about Thanos than anyone since he’d been held captive by him and the Chitauri, but he wasn’t sure how strong Thanos currently was. He’d like to think that Odin and even Asgard’s defenses would be able to keep him out, but he still felt uncomfortable whenever he thought about it all. “I guess I feel safe here because the Chitauri and Thanos don’t know I'm here. Your house has felt like a safe hideaway, I guess you would say,” Loki said softly. “I’ve felt safer there than I have since I fell off the Bifrost.”

Jane gave him another squeeze. "I'm glad I can make you feel safe, but if this Thanos and the Chitauri are looking for you, being here is probably a lot less safe than Asgard. I don't have near the defenses here if they were to track you," Jane replied worriedly.

Loki numbly nodded. “I-I shouldn’t have said anything. I wasn’t going to because I didn’t want you to worry.”

“I’m glad you did, though. I’d rather worry and be informed than blissfully unaware,” she said, rocking with him.

Loki felt relieved, mainly because Jane now knew. He hugged her closer.

Jane reciprocated the hug, giving Loki a kiss on the temple. “I hope you’ll always feel that you can talk to me, especially if something is bothering you.”

Loki smiled warmly. “Thank you. I’ll remember that.”

She gave him one more tight squeeze before releasing him. “Are you about ready to head back to the others?”

Darcy and Thor had already gone through more than half the bag of bread, laughing and spinning about as the ducks had surrounded them on all sides.

Jane laughed, looking at the scene. “I think they might need us to go save them,” she jested.

Loki laughed at Darcy and Thor. Then his smile fell. “You know I don’t want to head back.” He sighed. “But I know there’s no getting around any of this.”

Jane nodded solemnly. “No, but if you can, try to think of it more positively. You never know, some good might come out of going back to Asgard. You were talking about that journey to seek out your mother…you can’t really do that here.”

Loki’s gaze fell downward as he gave a nod. He wasn’t really sure what to say to that.

Noting his hesitance, Jane questioned, “Are you worried what you might find trying to seek out your mother?”

Loki shrugged. "In a way, I guess. I mean, I've had a lot of time to think about it, so I've looked at it from all sides. But...what if Thor is right? What if...I don't find her there?"

Jane laid a hand on his shoulder and caressed his cheek. “If you don’t find her, it’ll be the same as if you never went at all. The best advice I can give is that a venture never gone is a venture never gained. You may not find what you’re looking for; this is true. It’s good to weigh that as a possible outcome to what you’re planning to try to do, but I think if you don’t at least try, it’s going to eat you alive inside. You’re carrying around a lot of pain, and I think this trip will do you a world of good if just to sort out your feelings.”

Loki smiled down at her. "If I could just see her again, it would be worth it," he said softly. "Odin didn't let me go to her funeral. I also said some things I now regret the last time I saw her."

Jane nodded in understanding. “I think getting a bit of closure for you is important. You need to say what you wanted to say to her that you couldn’t. I’m sorry, Loki.”

“I’m just glad I finally have someone who understands.” Loki continued to smile, tears appearing in his eyes.

“I really hope the journey gives you what you seek,” she stated tenderly, cupping his face to comfort him.

Loki raised a hand to put on Jane's. "I'm going to be back as quickly as I can, and I'm going to bring you those star charts."

Jane's face brightened. "I look forward to you telling me all about them."

The corner of Loki's mouth curled into a lazy smirk. "You wouldn't be interested in writing a book about Frost Giants, would you?"

She laughed. "I am not the novelist, but Darcy might be able to do just that."

"But you put together the book about star charts..."

Jane chuckled. "I study stars, so, of course, I can build a star chart, writing an actual book? That would be more Darcy's field of expertise."

"Oh," said Loki as he looked over at Darcy. "I guess we'd better go rescue them from the ducks."

She shook her head. "I see those wheels turning. Should I be concerned?" she mused as they made their way back to Thor and Darcy.

Loki smiled. "Concerned about what?"

She gave him a knowing look. "With you? No, nothing at all!"

As the two approached, Darcy tossed the bag of bread to Loki. "Your turn to take on the duck armada!"

Loki caught the bread and, seeing the ducks coming toward him, quickly shoved it into Jane's hands.

Jane's eyes lit up in surprise to see the bread getting hurled towards her. She caught it, but several slices of bread spilled out at her feet, and she was quickly surrounded by a herd of ducks pecking at her feet and legs. "Hey!" She laughed, trying to dance away from them.

Loki laughed as he watched the ducks and Jane.

"I think I need saving!" Jane laughed as the ducks started to trip her.

Loki grabbed onto her to steady her, taking the bread out of her hands and throwing it away from them.

Seeing the bread scatter across the grass sent the swarming ducks waddling off in pursuit as Jane steadied herself, laughing. "My hero!"

Grinning, Loki bent and scooped Jane off her feet, into his arms, and carried her the short distance to Thor and Darcy.

She pretended to swoon in mock dismay as the others laughed at the ridiculous display the two were making.

“You're welcome, milady,” Loki said, smiling.

Jane giggled as Loki set her back on her feet. "Those ducks are formidable!"

“Yes, they are.” Loki grinned. He poked her in the sides to tickle her.

She jerked to the side at the sudden tickle, chuckling. “We should probably move back to our blanket before they finish and come back looking for more.”

Thor laid a hand on her shoulder and squeezed, and when Jane looked back, she could see the sad look in his eyes knowing what he was conveying.

Jane nodded sadly. “It’s time, guys. We need to go out to the desert.”

Darcy’s smile faltered, and she looked from Jane to Loki and Thor. She sighed, looking down before nodding. “I guess the fun couldn’t last forever.”

Loki’s smile quickly fell. He looked from Jane to Thor, then to the ground.

“I…I’ve got to go back to Jane’s house to change into my Asgardian clothes and pick up my pack,” he said softly.

Thor nodded. “Yes, I must do the same, but…it is time, brother.”

Jane went quietly, moving over to start gathering up the blankets and supplies, and after a long moment of not really knowing what to say or do, Darcy followed suit and moved over to help Jane pack up.

Loki couldn’t bring himself to move. He continued to stand, staring at Thor’s shoes.

Thor moved up beside Loki, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. “You knew we’d have to leave eventually, Loki.”

Without saying a word, Loki scowled and pulled away from Thor and walked over to where Jane was still packing everything up.

Thor sighed tiredly, but he said nothing, knowing how upset this made Loki to have to go back home. He would get over it, but if he continued giving Thor such a bad attitude, Thor knew he’d have to do something to curb it. He didn’t want to make Loki suffer more than he already was, so he hoped that Loki’s defiance would remain mild without too much disrespect.

Jane and Darcy moved about silently now, an air of sadness hung around them as they finished packing away all the supplies.

Loki approached Jane. “Need any help?”

Jane gave him a weak smile. “Sure, hon, you can roll the cooler back to the van if you’d like.”

Loki nodded and did as she said, taking the cooler and placing it in the back of the van. After putting it in its place, he looked over at Jane, Darcy, and Thor, tears blurring his vision. He had to stay positive like Jane said. But it was so hard. He tried concentrating on what he had to do once he got back to Asgard: find Frigga. Once he did that, then he could come back to Jane. He tried forcing a smile.

The four piled into the van, once more a fog of melancholy settling over them as Jane put the van back in gear to drive back home.

Darcy once more leaned on Loki’s shoulder and squeezed his hand. “When you come back, bro, we’re going to have so much fun.” She was trying to sound positive, but her voice was cracking under the strain of the sorrow surrounding them.

Loki let go of her hand, placing his arm around her shoulders and pulling her as close to him as possible. Playfully, he reached up and gently pulled her glasses away from her face, letting them fall down on the tip of her nose.

She sniffled, pushing them back in place as she poked him in the side, trying her best to smile.

Loki grinned and moved into a position that allowed him to lean his head against Darcy's.


	32. Going Back to Asgard

The four were silent for the quick jaunt back to Jane’s place, and equally so as they dragged their feet getting out of the van. Jane went to immediately busy herself with removing the supplies from the back just to serve as a distraction from the situation, and Darcy finding she couldn’t even do that went and hid in the bathroom.

Thor moved like a man defeated back into the house to gather his things. The way everyone was reacting had him feeling terrible, even though he knew they couldn’t stay at Jane’s indefinitely.

Loki slowly made his way back to his room, closing the door behind him. He glanced around, taking in the small space one last time before moving over to the closet to undress. Due to his downcast mood, it took him longer than normal to put on his leather clothing, boots, and armor. But he finally managed to get it done. He left his silky boxers on this time since they helped to pad his still sore rear a little. When he was fully dressed, he opened the door and walked to the living room, seating himself down on the couch where his pack was still setting.

Thor was already outside, stuffing his belongings into the van. Darcy had come out of the bathroom but was standing idly in the hallway between Jane’s bedroom and Jane’s office while Jane busied herself cleaning up nothing in particular.

Once Loki came out, Jane stopped what she was doing to watch him sit on the couch, visibly deflating. She tossed the sponge back into the kitchen sink and, stopping long enough to give Darcy a silent head tilt towards the front door as a signal that they needed to go, made her way over to Loki. She peered down at him as she stated softly, “Are you going to be okay?”

Loki looked up at her. "In what way?"

She ran a hand through his hair. “I know this is hard, Loki. I’m not going to give you the stiff upper lip shtick. None of us are holding up well to our little family getting broken up. Keep focusing on a month and a half from now; can you do that for me?”

Loki leaned into Jane’s hand combing through his hair. He turned tear-filled eyes up to her, reaching out to take her arm and gently pull her down onto the couch. "I'll try," he said softly. "For you."

She pulled him into a hug. “That’s all I can ever ask.”

Loki wrapped his arms around Jane and squeezed her tightly.

They stayed in an embrace for several minutes before Jane pulled away and stood, holding her hand out to Loki to help him up off the couch.

Loki looked at her hand and sighed. He slid his right hand into hers and grabbed hold of his pack with the other.

She helped him off the couch and gently led him out to the van loosely by the hand.

Thor and Darcy were already in the van, and the vehicle sat in idle, awaiting their arrival.

Jane gave Loki’s hand another squeeze before letting it go to climb into the driver’s side.

Slowly Loki climbed up into the van, pulling the door closed behind him and taking his seat next to Darcy. He sighed long and hard, trying to maintain a positive attitude. He squirmed and moved in his seat until he found a comfortable position, his tight leather clothing and his sore posterior making it somewhat impossible for him to sit properly. When he was finally situated, he pulled his coattails off Darcy’s legs. “Sorry,” he said softly.

“It’s okay.” She gave him a weak smile. She pulled at the coattails lightly now, working it between her thumb and forefinger and just staring at it with a small frown.

Jane moved the van into gear and backed out of the driveway to begin the hour-long drive into the desert.

Loki noticed Darcy looking intently at his clothing and fingering the coattails. He leaned over. “Is something wrong with it?”

Darcy was taken out of her reverie, shaking her head as she let the clothing go. “Oh, no! I…I was just feeling it; it reminds me of the fact that you guys aren’t really from here. I don’t know; it’s just another reminder that you guys are going to be so far away,” she stated dejectedly.

Loki gave a weak smile then moved to pick up one of his coattails, running his hand over it to smooth it out.

The four drove silently for the remainder of the journey; everyone was obviously in their own thoughts as they made their way into the desert, finally coming to a stop when Thor held up a hand for them to stop.

“We are here, look.” He pointed and the slight shimmering of the rainbow bridge became more visible as they watched it solidify before them.

Loki’s grip tightened on his pack as he stared ahead of him, through the front windshield.

Jane and Darcy’s eyes seemed locked on the sight before them. They had seen the bridge before, but it still inspired awe in them to behold it.

Thor opened the door then, looking over to Jane, and she tore her eyes away to look at him now, reflecting longing and sadness. They both knew each time he came to visit her that he would have to go, but it never got easier. Jane always worried about him. The world he lived in fascinated her, and in many ways, she knew she didn’t really belong in it, but she planned to enjoy him while she could.

She swallowed hard, opening her own door. He nodded and stepped out with her following suit to finally meet in front of the van in a deep embrace.

Darcy looked down at her hands and then over to Loki. “I guess this is it then…” Her voice was slightly cracked and barely made it above a whisper as she frowned, a thin line of warbling anguish.

Loki nodded. "Yes, I suppose so."

Darcy sniffed, climbing over and unlocking the door. She didn’t look back as she opened the door and jumped out, leaving the door open for Loki to exit as she dipped around the side to the front.

Loki watched Darcy exited the van. He sighed, moving to get out himself, not wanting to keep Thor waiting. He slung his pack over his shoulder and walked over to join the others. He silently stared at Jane, wanting to burn her image into his mind so he could have a clear picture to look back on during the times he needed to.

Jane and Thor kissed and finally broke apart, and her eyes fell on Loki. She was already crying he could tell, but she held out her arms wide open to embrace Loki.

He walked forward, into her arms as he put his arms around her.

She shuttered into his shoulder. “I’m sorry; I’m not trying to make this harder on you,” she cried.

Loki remained silent as held her tightly to him, closing his eyes. Tears made their way down his cheeks.

Darcy moved up to give Thor a hug while Loki and Jane embraced, and once Jane released Loki, she hugged him as well with a deep squeeze.

Thor and Jane were sharing parting words as Darcy spoke into Loki’s chest, “When you come back, I’m going to have the best darn trip worked out, so you better get prepared, okay?” She gave his chest a light punch for emphasis.

Loki forced a smile. "No, you'd better get prepared." He leaned down to give Darcy a light kiss on her forehead.

She squeezed him tighter, holding him for a long moment before finally letting go and backing away.

Jane finally did the same after giving Thor one more passionate kiss.

The two women watched now as Thor walked to the beginning of the bridge, motioning to Loki. “Come, brother, it is time to go home.”

As far as Loki was concerned, he _was_ home. Not that it mattered to Thor. He looked around him at Jane and Darcy, finally sighing. He walked over to Jane, leaning down to give her a kiss on the cheek. “Until we meet again,” he whispered.

Jane gave him a warm smile and a small nod. “We’ll be waiting.”

Thor waited for Loki; he did not rush him, knowing how hard it was on everyone to say their goodbyes.

Loki smiled and held Jane’s gaze about a minute before he turned and slowly walked over to where Thor was standing, keeping his eyes turned down.

Thor placed a hand on his shoulder, giving a light squeeze. “Try not to be so glum, Loki. We will be coming back soon enough.”

Loki looked up at Thor, giving a halfhearted nod. Thor didn’t understand. He never understood. At this point, Loki was tired of trying to make him understand. He just wanted his power back so he could do what he wanted to do, go where he wanted to go.

The two ascended upwards, and the bridge behind them began to dematerialize as Jane and Darcy watched on. Within minutes, the two Asgardians also began to fade from their vision as the bridge transported them to Asgard.

Thor and Loki strode up the Bifrost slowly as if they had leaden feet. Heimdall, the ever watchful, was waiting with folded arms and a stoic expression as they approached. He gave a small nod to Thor as his eyes shone with warmth to see him once more. He peered over Thor’s shoulder now to Loki, and he gave the younger prince a small nod as well. A small tug at the corner of his mouth played across his normally tight lips as he regarded the man, but otherwise, Heimdall was emotionless.

In the midst of everything that had happened, Loki had forgotten about Heimdall. For a split second, he felt a nauseating feel in the pit of his stomach as he hoped the sentry hadn’t looked in on their whole visit to Midgard. His cheeks flushed pink at the thought of Heimdall knowing about all of his...embarrassing moments. Loki suddenly found himself hiding behind Thor.

 

Thor and Loki walked through the bustling streets; several of the commoners seeing his return, cheered their welcomes. None regarded Loki with disdain, but none were as overly enthusiastic about his return as they were of Thor’s.

The crowds parted as they walked, and within minutes the two stood facing the long stairway up to the palace.

Thor turned back to Loki now, giving him an almost sympathetic look. “Are you ready to see Father, brother?”

"Now?" said Loki, furrowing his brow. He stood and stared at Thor.

“Father will wish to know of our arrival at once, I am sure,” Thor stated assuredly.

Loki sighed, following after Thor. He hadn’t expected this so soon. He’d hoped to stop by his room and change into some comfortable clothes and spend the rest of the afternoon wishing he was back in the purple bedroom in Jane’s house.

The two continued down the long corridor towards the throne room, and as they entered, Odin was just finishing speaking to a group of councilmen that quickly disengaged with a quick nod when they saw the princes coming in.

Odin lifted his chin, turning towards the two. He did not look amused.

Loki did not want to see Odin this soon after returning. He knew he would have to face him sooner or later, but he would have rather it been later. He had had such a good time on Midgard and was so happy, now he felt like he might vomit. At least he wasn't bound in chains and shackles and ushered in by guards this time. He guessed that was something to be thankful for anyway. He kept his eyes downward as he followed after Thor.

Odin strode forward to meet the two. “It is good to see you return.” He paused, giving Loki a stern glare as he groused, “Although I have been told your arrival would have been sooner if not for a few unforeseen holdups.”

Loki slowly looked up, frowning. What was the old goat driving at now? He couldn't help it if he got sick. It was Odin's fault anyway for making him mortal.

The glimmer of defiance wasn’t lost on Odin, and he added. “But I heard the holdup was addressed by your lovely Jane, Thor. This is good for Loki as I plan to give him a reprieve for the punishment he’s earned over course of your stay on Midgard. I can sadly say that I’m disappointed in some of your antics, but I was pleased to see the effect that Thor’s chosen punishment has had on you. I would never have thought such a punishment would have had such positive results, so I am pleased to see the change in you as well, Loki. You are growing, and that is hopeful.”

One of Loki's eyebrows perked, but his cheeks were flushed pink at hearing that Odin knew about things that went on during their visit. It was then that he had to wonder just how much Odin knew.

Thor looked a bit confounded that Odin had seen so much yet never called them back to Asgard sooner. “You saw everything, Father? Did you not think it wise to have come to Loki’s aid when he fell ill?” Thor’s voice was tinged with anger.

Odin regarded him coolly. “I had our healers monitoring his symptoms from afar once I had been informed, but the mortals found ways to sustain his health quickly enough. I also saw it to have been a benefit to how it brought the two of you closer, so no, I chose not to interfere.”

"You chose not to interfere and let me suffer through all of that!" Loki finally blurted out, his cheeks turning redder from both embarrassment and anger.

Odin wielded on Loki with a stern glare. “Aye, I did, Loki. You brought the suffering on yourself for having to have had your powers stripped from you in the first place! To be mortal for a time has given you a new outlook. Can you deny this?”

"I never meant to get sick with a Midgard illness. How is that my fault?"

“It’s not your fault, but the reason that you were mortal and able to catch the illness most assuredly is. Do not worry.” Odin reached over to grab Loki’s shoulders. A glow emitted through his hand and a warmness spread through Loki, enveloping him in the light. The light dispersed in a ripple, but Loki could tell he felt healthier. “I have ensured that you need not suffer the mortal sicknesses in the future. I did not intend for you to suffer in that way, but life is full of trials, and I hope that through your experience, you came out learning something.”

"I learned that Midgard has horrid medical practices," said Loki, taking a step back from Odin. His brow drew down. "What did you do to me?"

Odin seemed a bit miffed as he regarded Loki. “I made sure you had enough of your constitution restored to keep you well again if Thor decides to bring you back to Midgard…for this talk of birthday celebrations to be had, was it? Some form of celebration in the maiden Jane’s honor, if I remember being told.”

Loki looked down at his hands then back at Odin. He studied the All-Father's face a few minutes, his mind struggling to understand. "Yes," he finally said softly.

Odin’s face finally broke a small smile. “Good. Do see that you can behave well enough to be able to attend it, eh?”

Loki continued eyeing Odin, his frown turning into a slight scowl. "What does _that_ mean?"

Odin sighed. "At this point in time, your freedoms are a privilege. You are yet to be reformed, but as long as I see that you are making an effort, you will be granted more freedoms. In turn, shows of defiance and ill intent will be rewarded with taking away of said freedoms. The ultimate goal is for you to learn and move forward, and as long as you are doing so, you have nothing to fear."

Loki looked Odin up and down, his scowl becoming more solid. He could feel his heart pounding rapidly inside his chest. It didn’t sound fair. Was Odin saying that if he made a mistake he wouldn’t be able to see Jane again? Was Thor handing him over to an even shorter leash? Loki’s eyes quickly looked around them as if hoping and expecting to see Frigga standing there. And it was then that it hit him harder than it ever hit him that she was no longer there. Jane wasn’t there either. He had no one to confide in, no one to comfort him, no one to hold back Odin. He stood there, unmoving, chewing at his lip and staring past Odin at nothing in particular. He swallowed, struggling to hold back tears as well as his ever-growing anger.

Odin looked over to Thor. "Take your brother and go get some rest. In a few hours, I expect you both to clean up and meet me for dinner in my private chambers." Odin turned a soft gaze onto Loki now. "I have seen some need for change. I admit, I have been more your king than your father. I thought I was tempering strength of character and fairness, but now I see that instead, I find myself lacking. I plan to change too for the betterment of our family and be the father you need, Loki."

Loki’s mind had a hard time taking in everything Odin was saying. Really? Was Odin offering to be a father now? Loki wanted a father. He wanted to know the love of a father. But he had a hard time believing that Odin, after all of these years, wanted to be his father now. He had a hard time trusting him after the lies he’d lived concerning his heritage, not to mention Odin allowing him to fall off the Bifrost and putting him in a prison cell. Oh, sure, it was easy to say you were going to be a father but was Odin prepared to be dedicated? Something told Loki he wasn’t. The All-Father would spend the first few days with him, catch up on things he’d obviously missed out on, and then the duties of him being king would come up and take him away. Or worse…his devotion would slowly shift over to Thor like it had done when they were kids. Only this time Loki didn’t have anyone else to go to for love and attention. He would be all alone, and that thought hurt and scared him more than he wanted to admit, even to himself.

“Why do you wish to be my father now?” Loki said coldly, barely above a whisper. “Is it because Mother is no longer here?”

Odin regarded Loki a moment in silence. "There never was a time I wasn’t your father, Loki. I just realize now that you could have used a little lighter touch. You are sensitive, and I was not. I've come to realize that my own brash attitude towards life, although fitting for a king, was not what you needed in a father. I have made mistakes; can you admit the same?"

He might have always been a father, but Loki never saw him as such. He wanted to believe the words Odin spoke now because they sounded so good, too good to be true, actually, but the wound was too deep. There was going to have to be a lot of healing and mending first...on both sides. Hearing Odin admitting to making mistakes was a start, he thought. He never thought he'd hear the All-Father admit it aloud. Loki took in a deep breath, exhaling it slowly and rolling his eyes up at the ceiling. “Yes, I’ve made mistakes. There, I said it. Are you happy? But not everything I’ve done has been my fault, but you haven’t bothered to even listen to anything I’ve had to say. You’ve just spent time accusing me and trying to find me guilty. It’s been hard for me to find love in you when everything you’ve done has looked like the opposite to me.” He looked from Odin to Thor, his eyes finally filling up with the tears he had been struggling to hold back. “I just want to go back to Jane. Like Mother, she accepted me for who I am and listened to me and understood me without criticizing me, pushing me away, and forcing me to be the perfect child. She treated me like an individual instead of offal to be thrown off the Bifrost.” He turned back to Odin. “Sure, I’ll dine with you, but you can’t force me to accept you as a father. It’s easy to stand there and speak words, but you’re going to have to prove it to me in actions.” Several tears made their way down his cheeks. He wished Jane were there. He longed to feel her embrace.

Odin stared at Loki, and a part of him was irritated that Loki was denying fault for his actions, and there was a similar turmoil where he questioned himself for the things that Loki accused him of. For long moments he stayed stonily silent before taking a long breath in and breathing out his anger. He needed to be gentler with Loki. “I have no need to force you to accept me as your father. I care for you, Loki. I took care of you when I scooped you from a hovel where you’d been left to die, I took you in as my own, and I called you my son. I still call you my son even after all the atrocities that you have committed. So do not come to me about being a perfect child! Before your recent transgressions there have been many incidents that I overlooked as boyish games, but no longer, Loki. You want my full attention; then by the moon and the sun above, you shall have it!” There was an ominous ring to Odin’s timbre now as his words echoed off the palace walls.

He had heard the same story before, but he kept quiet as Odin felt a need to remind him once more. Deep down, Loki really was grateful that Odin had saved him and took him in. But he was tired of hearing the same story over again—tired of Odin constantly reminding him of his past fate, tired of reminding him of the lack of love and compassion his birth parents had for him, tired of everything. Odin didn't know it, but it was like rubbing salt in the wound. And judging by the tone of Odin's voice, he knew that if he said anything else he risked getting thrown over Odin’s knee and spanked, or Odin would now see to it that he couldn’t see Jane again…the same as he had done with Frigga, which brought them all back to the tired old story they had been playing out all along. Loki once again felt like he was being pushed into a corner with everything he loved being ripped from him, and felt like he wasn’t allowed to speak his mind or his opinions, no matter how true and honest they were, without fear of getting punished for simply being an individual. If Odin really wanted to be his father, he was going to have to learn to sit down and be open and willing to listen to him and his thoughts and believe him when he actually spoke truth. The way the All-Father was acting now proved to Loki that Odin was not ready to be his father. So with that being the case, Loki wasn't going to say anymore. Why waste time and effort on someone who wasn't going to listen?

Sighing, Loki lowered his gaze to the floor, more tears spilling down his cheeks.

Odin nodded to Thor. “Take him to his room to rest. I’m sure the journey back has been a strain on you both.” Odin strode away and out of the throne room in obvious need to think.

Thor watched him go before moving up beside Loki, wrapping an arm around his shoulders and petting the top of his head gently. He sighed. “That could have gone worse. He is trying, Loki, but you’re going to have to give him a little room to flex. No one changes overnight. Come on,” He mussed Loki’s hair lightly, “Let’s go to the bath house and relax a bit; that should make you feel a little better, eh?”

Loki leaned into Thor, wrapping his arms around him and resting his head against his shoulder. He never thought he would see himself doing it, but he was so desperate for comfort that he didn’t care. He wanted his big brother. Right now, Thor was the only person he had. Finally, he nodded.

Thor seemed pleased with the affection, giving Loki a tight squeeze. "I'll walk you to your room, and you can drop off your things and make yourself comfortable; you can meet me down at the bath house once you're ready."

“Thor,” said Loki, pulling away, “is there a way to send and accept letters from Midgard?”

Thor looked dumbfounded. "Not that I have ever heard of. That would be nice, though. Perhaps the All-Father might enlighten us at dinner?"

Loki nodded as he followed Thor out of the throne room, although he really didn’t want Odin knowing about it. If he messed up, Odin might see fit to forbid him to make any contact with the other realms. The man seemed hard bent on making sure that he didn’t have any sort of contact with a mother. He didn’t understand why. When you did something wrong, it wasn’t a common punishment to forbid someone to see their mother, even if that mother was now in the form of a maternal guardian. Loki struggled to understand Odin's problem.

The two continued to walk in silence. Thor saw Loki was deep in thought, so he didn’t interrupt him, knowing he likely had a lot to mull over. When they finally made it back to Loki’s room, Thor patted his back. “Alright, Loki, I’ll be at the bath house in less than an hour’s time. I will see you there soon, I hope.” Thor smiled warmly at him as he turned to head to his own room now.

Loki watched Thor walk away, then he turned to enter his room, closing the door behind him. He let his pack slip from his shoulder to fall on the floor, not bothering to unpack it. He leaned back against the door, closing his eyes. He took a few minutes to regain his senses and to let the pent up anger seep out. It had taken everything he had to keep himself from lashing out at Odin. Even though he had his immunity back, he still felt nauseous at his stomach—like he had felt when he first contracted the bacterial illness. Odin just had that effect on some people. He had a month and a half to go through and already it felt like it had been a week. He wanted to cry. In fact, tears continued to stream down his cheeks as he stood there. Odin said he wanted to be a father to him, but he still didn’t know how to be one. He didn’t even give him a hug when he and Thor walked into the throne room or when he had departed. Loki knew he probably saw him crying. It didn’t take a genius to see he needed comfort. Thor, of all people, was the one who had wrapped an arm around his shoulders. Loki’s body shuddered as he let his sobs out in full. He turned and hit the door with his hand in frustration. Thor told him that Odin couldn't change overnight. He understood that. But he still had doubts that Odin would ever change.

Finally, Loki opened his eyes again to peer around the room. A part of him hoped he would find it purple. His thoughts drifted to Jane. She and Darcy were probably home by now. He wanted to be there, too. His eyes fell on his helmet. Sniffling away a few tears, he walked over to it, picking it up and walking over to the floor length mirror. He put the helmet on his head. He cringed at the reflection of his puffy red eyes and his tear streaked cheeks. His helmet had always made him feel strong and important like he was somebody. Now as he looked at himself in the mirror he looked like a five-year-old child wearing a reminder of what he once was. Suddenly, he quickly jerked his head forward and head-butted the mirror out of anger and frustration, the horns of his helmet shattering part of it. He stepped back, watching pieces of reflective glass fall to the floor. He took the helmet off and roughly shoved it into the nearest chair and stormed off into his dressing room.

A few minutes later, Loki emerged while wearing a simple green tunic, trousers, and boots. He walked over to his pack and pulled his hairbrush out of it. 

Sighing, he opened the door of his room and made his way down the hallway, toward the bath house. When Loki arrived at his destination, his eyes searched the room for Thor.

Thor was already naked and deep under the warm, frothing waters. His bulky arms were laid out on the cool stone surface, supporting his body. He looked the picture of ecstasy. “Loki!” he called out jovially. “Come, brother! The water has healing ointments in it, and your muscles will be loose in no time!” Thor settled back to relax again, letting his eyes drop and his jaw go slightly slack.

Loki walked forward, stopping at the edge of the tub. He really didn’t want to be there. He felt like he needed a bath, of course, but he wished he was alone…without Thor. Knowing his present mood, he just wanted to be somewhere with his own thoughts. He eased himself down on the floor, putting his hairbrush down beside him and beginning to take off his boots. After setting them to the side, he undressed, taking a moment to glance at his still red rear before slipping into the vacant end of the tub.

The two sat in silence for long minutes. Thor had started to nod off before he shook his head, dipping his hand in the water and splashing his face vigorously. He blinked the water away before giving Loki a tender smile. “Are you starting to feel a little better now?”

Loki scowled at the question. “No,” he answered sulkily. A few more tears escaped down his cheeks. “I wish to be back at Jane’s house.”

Thor regarded Loki sympathetically. “I know you’re not happy about leaving Jane behind, Loki. I can see that you two have formed a very special bond. We will be going back, but I have things I must attend to here in Asgard. Sif and the Warriors Three were expecting us back a week ago. Volstagg’s wife has had another little one, you know, and we all planned to help build a new addition to his house to help make room for his ever growing family. He’s already got ten! I still don’t know how he has enough room for them as is!” Thor chuckled, leaning his head back. “If you’d like, you may come and help, or you can relax here at the palace and read. I suspect you’ll choose the latter, but either way, you are welcome to join us.”

Loki moved uneasily in the tub. It was a hard decision and one where he didn’t like either choice. He wasn’t looking forward to seeing the Warriors Three and Sif…not after the way he had treated them. He felt sure they would probably like to pound him into a pulp. Plus Volstagg’s kids…He wasn’t the greatest at being around kids. They could be greatly annoying, and they made him nervous and jittery. He would gladly take the latter, of course, but he didn’t like the thought of staying alone at the palace with Odin either, not to mention…staying there alone, without Frigga.

He sighed dejectedly. “I’ll take some of my books and go with you,” he answered softly, playing at the suds in the water.

Thor chuckled. “You’re going to read stories to the children to keep them out of our hair! Excellent idea, Loki!” Thor, of course, was assuming this was where Loki was going with the statement he had made.

Loki scowled. “That is _not_ what I meant!” He slid deeper into the tub, up to his neck. “I will bring some supplies with me as well. I want to make some star chart books for Jane and Darcy.”

Thor was taken aback from Loki’s outburst, blinking. “You do realize how difficult that would be to try to do at Volstagg’s house, right? I think reading to the children is a much better idea…even if that was not what you intended.” Thor nodded as if Loki needed assurance of this.

Loki’s scowl darkened. Then he sighed. Thor was right about him not being able to work on the books at Volstagg’s house. He would have to do it when they got back. He wanted to take a trip to the shops and vendor stalls anyway to pick up some gifts for Jane and Darcy. He'd just do all of it when they got done with Volstagg.

“I’ll work on the books when we return back to the palace at nights. But I’m still not reading and acting as a babysitter to children.”

Thor shook his head, chuckling. “You know with ten of them running amuck, we will all be babysitting a little.”

“You know I’m not good with kids.” Loki pouted. “They’re loud and wiggly and smelly and hang onto you. And their feet and hands poke and hit you in places and they pull on things they shouldn’t, and they always insist on riding you if you get down on the floor. With Volstagg’s brood, I’ll be lucky to get out of there alive.”

Thor let out a hardy laugh. “You know, you don’t have to go, Loki. I can come by and get you once we’re done for the day. Look at you! You’re already vexed and we haven’t even set foot to head over to Volstagg’s home yet. There will be good food, though! There is definitely a good reason Volstagg is so…hearty.”

Loki looked down at the water. "I...I'll go with you." He was ashamed to tell Thor that he didn't want to be left alone. The thought of Frigga not being there was too much for him to bear. As much as the thought of being around kids vexed him, he'd rather be with Thor than to wander the empty halls of the palace where memories were easy to come across.

Thor nodded happily. “I think it’ll do you good to get out and about in Asgard again. There will be plenty of time to spend here at the palace, I’m sure.”

Loki nodded. “I…I’m just not looking forward to seeing the Warriors Three and Sif, especially knowing what I did to them.” He frowned and then shuddered, thinking that there were a lot of people that probably would love to get in line to spank him.

“You need not worry about them; before we left for Midgard, I had spoken to them at length. They will not give you any problems as long as you do not start any problems,” Thor assured.

Loki's face suddenly paled. "Y-you spoke with them? A-about what?"

Thor looked quizzical. “I spoke to them after our first discussion to let them know that we had sorted our differences and that you had been punished for your crimes. I told them that to ensure they knew you had already been dealt with, so no one felt a need to settle a score.”

"Did you tell them _how_ I was punished?" Loki asked with a groan, his face turning red.

A dawning realization came across Thor’s face as he put two and two together to understand why Loki was so embarrassed. He smiled, shaking his head. “No, should I have?” he teased now.

Loki visibly relaxed, then he frowned. "No." He was glad to hear that the Warriors Three and Sif didn't know. He could just hear the teasing and jeers. Not to mention Sif would probably take it upon herself to punish him in that way, should anything happen on their visit to give her reason to. She was just the type to do it, he thought with a scowl. Loki moved, placing his hands underneath him when the tub became too hard and uncomfortable. He was still quite sore from Jane's work. He wasn't sure how he would get through the visit to Volstagg's without giving away something was wrong with that part of him.

Thor smirked. “Well, as long as you don’t do anything bad enough to earn a spanking around them, they need never know.”

Loki glared at Thor.

“What?” Thor put his hands up as if he were completely innocent.

Loki's face relaxed into a saddened expression again as he settled back against the tub side. He sighed as his thoughts once again turned to Jane. He wished he could have one of her massages after getting out of the tub.

The two relaxed in the tub for a good thirty minutes before Thor got out, wrapping a massive towel around himself. “I’m going to get dressed and take a walk in the gardens. Care to join me, or did you want to get a couple hours of rest before we go to meet Father for dinner? I can come wake you if you want to rest.”

"You go ahead. I'm going to wash and head back to my room," said Loki softly. He didn't feel like being in the company of Thor anymore. He just wanted to be alone.

Thor nodded. "Alright, I'll come by your room in a couple hours to fetch you for dinner then." Thor dressed and headed out, leaving Loki in the serenity of the frothing waters.

Loki finished washing, dried himself off, and put his clothes back on. He toweled his hair off and ran his hairbrush through it to get out tangles and smooth it back. When he was finished, he made his way back to his room. Once inside, he stood in the middle of the room, unsure what to do. It had been so long that he felt like a stranger in his own quarters. Everything was the same as when he had left it way back before falling off the Bifrost and ending up in the hands of the Chitauri. His books were still on their shelves. His potions and other magical items and artifacts were still on their shelves as well. His messy desk still had books and scrolls messily splayed across it and on the floor around it, the wall behind it having maps, star charts, and notes hanging sloppily. His art corner still had art supplies gathered there and his older paintings hanging on the walls. The dusty, empty cage that once held Colborn still hung around the doors leading out to the balcony.

He turned and looked at the shattered mirror on his right and the glass littering the floor and his helmet in the chair. He sighed, leaning down to pick up his knapsack. He walked to his bed, sitting down on it and letting his hairbrush slide from his hand onto the floor. He opened his pack and gently pulled out the star chart book Jane had given him, putting the pack on the floor. He ran a hand over the precious book, lifting it to sniff its scent. He pulled it close to him to hug against his chest as he lay back against his pillow to stare forward. He looked toward the door, expecting to see Jane walk in at any moment to sit down on his bed next to him and run her hand through his hair or talk to him or read to him. But no one ever came. A part of him even expected to see Frigga, but that thought brought a greater pain to his heart. He lifted his head a little and listened to the silence. There was no noise anywhere, not even outside in the hallways. Normally Loki loved silence. The quieter the better since it allowed him to think and read. But now, he would have welcomed Darcy’s teasing. Tears streamed down his cheeks again as he buried his face in his pillow and hugged his book tighter. Where was Odin now? He wanted to change and wanted so much to be a father, now was the time to prove it. But noooo, he was somewhere else as always, completely indifferent and oblivious to the hurting, broken, and lonely son he had.

Loki closed his eyes tightly, squeezing out more tears. He turned over and curled up, sticking his thumb in his mouth. He did feel like sleeping, if not for anything else but to blot out where he currently was, but he hoped Thor wouldn’t wake him up. Or if he did, he hoped he would wake up in Jane’s house and all of this was simply a bad dream.


	33. Dinner with Odin

Thor left Loki to his own devices until he could smell the aroma of food coming from the kitchens and knew their father would be expecting them soon. He moved back down the hall to knock on Loki's door, after two knocks and no answer, Thor cracked the door. "Loki? Are you in there?"

“Go away,” Loki’s muffled voice replied.

Thor did not of course and instead opened the door fully to peer into the dark room. "Is something wrong?"

Loki rolled his eyes at Thor’s question. “No, nothing’s wrong at all,” he answered sarcastically, his voice sounding watery. He sighed, not bothering to turn over to face Thor.

Thor moved through the dark room, coming to sit beside Loki as he coaxed gently. “Father will be waiting for us, Loki. The chefs are preparing quite a feast for our return.” He paused a moment before continuing, “Try not to let yourself fall into a melancholy state. A month and a half will go quicker than you know.”

“It’s not just that,” said Loki, his voice still muffled. “Our dinner…it’ll be the first time without…” Loki couldn’t bring himself to finish the sentence.

“Mother…” Thor stated dryly in understanding. He gave a small nod. “I see.” This was not Thor’s first dinner without Frigga, but he did remember when it had, and it was hard.

Loki nodded, snuggling his face into his pillow.

Thor said nothing, only reaching over to rub gently on his back. They still had a little time, he decided, before they needed to head to meet Odin. He wanted Loki to be mentally prepared.

Loki closed his eyes and sighed, the muscles in his back relaxing slightly.

Thor let them stay in this way for long minutes before voicing, “We have to get going, Loki. Father will be waiting for us.” He squeezed at Loki’s shoulder. “I will be there with you; you will not face him alone tonight. When we do go, just remember this is dinner, this is no battlefield, so do not wage wars. I sense you are very unhappy, and I worry that you will let it affect your better judgment. I say this as your brother, one who knows you well and wishes you just as well. Be mindful.”

Loki moved to a sitting position, reaching down on the floor to pick up his brush. “I have no intention of waging a war, so you don't have to worry. Although I can’t speak for Odin,” he said, running the brush over his hair. 

Thor heaved a light sigh. “You see, you’re already sharpening your sword to go into battle with thoughts like that. Do not assume what you believe will be Father’s reactions. You’re setting yourself up, Loki. Can you not see that?”

“I’m doing no such thing, Thor. I’m simply saying that if anything does happen over dinner, it won’t be my fault. I’m done waging wars with him.” He sighed wearily, turning to Thor. “I want to believe that Odin is willing to change, but I still haven’t seen evidence that he’s serious about it. If he truly cared about changing and being a father to me, he would have come in here to see me by now. He would have…tried making some sort of connection. He hasn’t. He cares nothing about the fact that I’m unhappy. Any other father would be there for his children when they need him the most.” He looked down at the brush in his hands. “I know you said that he won’t change overnight, but I thought he would at least make some sort of attempt to pull us back together now that we’re back home, especially since…Mother is no longer here. He doesn’t have to wait until we have dinner. He can come in here anytime and see me, talk with me, let me know he cares.”

Thor frowned. “Loki, dinner together in Father’s private chambers is how he shows he cares. He’s making an effort to put family up front, but do not mistake he still bears a heavy weight as king. He is a father not just to us but to all of Asgard. Such a burden I do not wish to bear. You wore it for but a month. You cannot tell me you don’t understand that he has a duty to uphold? He’s not ever going to be able to be there at our beacon call like Mother or even Jane because he just simply can’t. This does not mean he cares for us any less.”

Loki sighed, shoving his hairbrush into Thor’s lap and standing up. He began adjusting his clothes, using the light that streamed in through the open door from the hallway to see by. “Alright, I’ll give him a chance,” he finally said. Some of Jane’s words came back to him at that moment—the part where she had been explaining to him about Thor not having as much empathy, but he was still trying. He could hear her saying the same of Odin. He chose his next words carefully. “I know he has his duties as king. I understand that. But I do wish he would just…” Loki didn’t finish the sentence as he struggled with a part of his tunic. Perhaps it was best if he just kept quiet.

Thor grabbed the brush, remembering how Jane had told him that she’d used her own to spank Loki at the lake, so now he turned it over in his hands, deciding that it did make for a perfect implement. He would remember this if he needed to spank Loki in the future as he rose, sliding the brush onto the dresser. “Do you need help, Loki?” Thor offered, seeing Loki was having a difficult time with one of his tunic’s hooks.

Loki looked at him. “Yes, please,” he answered softly.

Thor smiled warmly at him, grabbing the sides of his tunic and carefully pulling them together to fasten the errant latch before smoothing down Loki’s shoulders. “There.” Thor gave a satisfied nod. “Perfect.” 

Loki looked into Thor’s eyes as many different feelings flowed through him. The moment reminded him of when they were kids and he had struggled with a piece of his clothing until Thor came over and did it for him—another memory from the days of innocence when their lives were still happy. 

Thor turned a grin on Loki. “Are you ready to go?”

Loki took in a breath and let it out slowly. “I guess.”

Thor gave him a soft slap on the back and a nod. “Then let us not keep Father waiting any longer.”

The two made their way down the massive corridors that lead to Odin’s personal chambers. There was a guard waiting to open the door for them as they arrived, and the room was adorned in soft candlelight. Odin had several chambers within his master chambers, and this one opened up to a large balcony adorned with ivy and marbled statues of Valkyrie on winged horses. Odin sat at a large table, already drinking a mug of ale. Two chairs were set on either side of him, and across the table outstretched a fine feast of all the best Asgard could offer. Odin stood as they entered, holding his arms out to either side. “Come! Sit and eat before the food goes cold. I have had the servants pour you some ale, Thor, and you some wine, Loki.” Odin was smiling welcomingly and waving them to come forward and join him.

Loki forced a smile and nodded at Odin when he addressed him, then from there walked awkwardly toward the table, determined to keep his mouth shut as much as possible. He looked at the three chairs, sadly lowering his head. He moved to sit gingerly in one of them.

As Thor and Loki moved to their seats, Thor’s on the right and Loki’s on the left, Odin sat, followed by Thor. There were no formalities in Norse culture, and everyone began eating—Thor stuffing his face as always, and Odin, although not as refined as Loki, ate a little less messily than Thor. No one spoke for a good ten minutes while food and drink were consumed. Servants bustled about, ready to take away dirty plates or refill flagons. Finally sated, Odin leaned back to look at each of his sons, giving a nod. “It is good to share a table with the both of you once more. It does my heart well.”

Loki had started his meal with nibbling, as he sometimes did, before falling into actually eating. For the most part, he ignored Odin and Thor, becoming lost in his own thoughts, which mostly consisted of Jane and Darcy. He felt tense and awkward, not because of Odin being there, but because he was afraid that if he opened his mouth to speak, he might say something wrong. Or rather, whatever he said would be misinterpreted by the All-Father. Since Odin now held him on a tighter leash, he felt as though he didn't have freedom to speak lest Odin twist it around and see it as an act of defiance and forbid him to see Jane. Occasionally throughout their meal, Loki caught himself looking around the table, expecting to see Frigga there. It didn't feel right without her.

Thor, having finally satiated his fill from what the table had to offer, sat back in his chair, looking at both his father and Loki, trying to decide what to say. The tension was so thick it could be cut with a knife. Neither Loki nor Odin seemed privy to speak, and Thor was not a talker. "So, tell me, Father, what news have you since we last spoke?"

Odin turned to regard Thor, shrugging. "Nothing exciting. Mostly land squabbles and minor affronts with the people. Although there is a rumor that the dwarves have been working on something for Idunn. I worry what ill that woman plans after her leaving the spires of Asgard."

Thor regarded Odin grimly, thinking on the blonde woman. She and Sif had quite the rivalry growing up. Idunn had felt slighted in her feelings towards Thor when the warrior had favored Sif, a fellow warrior, over her, a master of magic like Loki. She had left Asgard to strike out on her own and had come back once to wreak havoc in her jealousy. Thankfully the creatures she'd controlled were put down quickly, and until this news, Idunn, better known now as the Enchantress, had all but faded into the background like a bad note in history.

Loki silently looked from Thor to Odin as they talked. He wasn’t sure what to say or whether he should say anything. Finally, his eyes rested on Odin. He didn’t understand why, during the long silence, he hadn’t said anything to him. No ‘How are you doing?’ or ‘How was your trip to Midgard?’ or ‘Are you going to be okay?’ Of course, Odin already knew how his trip to Midgard went, but still…More happened than just the moments he obviously knew about, like his chats with Jane.

Odin studied his two sons, turning his attention to his goblet to take a long drink before asking, "I trust the both of you have made yourselves back at home. What are your plans in the days to come?"

Thor made mention of the renovations at Volsagg's, and Odin nodded, looking to Loki. "And what about you? I know that you will be accompanying Thor, but do you have ideas for what you wish to accomplish now that you are home, Loki?"

Loki studied Odin a minute, then looked to Thor for support before turning his eyes back to Odin. What was he supposed to say? How was he supposed to tell him that he wanted to bring back Frigga without it sounding disrespectful? Loki thought about lying, but there was no way he would be able to get away with it. Thor already knew what he wanted to do, and Odin probably already knew as well. Somehow he had a feeling it was just as much of a test as it was an actual question—something to see how he would respond. But what if Odin said no to their trip?

“I…” He cleared his throat, “I was planning to make some gifts for Jane and Darcy for when we return to Midgard. Some…star chart books of Asgard and the other realms,” he softly replied. “And…I was thinking after we got done at Volstagg’s, that Thor and I might take a trip to Niflheim to…to see Mother.” He nervously wrung his hands in his lap.

Odin digested Loki's words for long moments before finally nodding. "To make a trip like what you are wishing is a dangerous one, but I can understand why you would need to. I miss her too." Odin stared off then, looking grave. "When you take this journey, you will need all of your prowess, so I will grant you the use of the gifts I have disposed you off to help keep you safe."

Loki wasn't sure he heard Odin right. He stared at the All-Father a long moment. “Y-you’re giving me back my powers?”

"For your journey, but maybe longer, if you can show me that you've earned the right to keep them," Odin clarified.

Loki looked down at the table, a spark of excitement surging through him at hearing Odin's words. He looked back at Odin. “Do you think Mother’s spirit is in Niflheim?”

Odin nodded, a small smile forming on his lips. “I know it to be so. She is among many of our kin, and from what the Seers have told me, her spirit is doing well enough. I would give you something, though, and when you go to see her, it will help her to reach Valhalla where she truly belongs.”

Thor brightened. “We could do this?”

“Aye, I have looked into it for some time and had planned to travel there myself to set her spirit free, but I think it is a task better placed in the both of your hands.”

Loki eyed Odin, immensely curious now.

He turned a warm eye to Loki. “Does this appease you, my son?”

Loki nodded. “What do you wish for us to give her?”

Odin hesitated a moment as if what Loki had asked hurt to consider. After a moment, he pulled out a long, intricate necklace from within his breastplate, looking it over fondly before gently passing it to Loki. Loki immediately recognized the trinket to be Frigga’s. She’d worn it for as far back as he could remember; it was a long ago gift from Odin to her that signified their unity in much the same way a wedding ring did for the mortals of Midgard. Odin spoke softly, “This has been imbued by the wise women of the North to act as a guide for her to find her way to Valhalla.”

Loki swallowed as he reached out and carefully took the necklace.

Thor watched on, speechless, as without even handling the necklace, he knew it well. “We are honored that you would bestow us this quest, Father. I know what this means to you.”

Odin nodded sadly. “Aye, I know what it also means to you two. This is why I’m entrusting you both to this task. I would trust no other than my sons to make such a journey in my stead.”

Loki silently ran his fingers over the necklace as if he’d never seen one before. It suddenly dawned on him that he had been handed the most important mission he and Thor had ever had, and if he failed he would let both Odin and Frigga down. He wasn’t about to let that happen.

“I won’t fail,” he said softly.

Odin laid a massive hand on Loki’s shoulder, squeezing it gently. “I know this is true with all my heart, Loki.”

Loki glanced at the hand on his shoulder, then he turned and searched Odin’s face for a few minutes before turning his eyes back to the necklace.

Odin gave Loki’s shoulder one more squeeze before easing back in his chair. “I will send Huginn and Muninn with you. Should you need my aid, they will notify me.”

The mention of Huginn and Muninn gave Thor an idea, knowing the birds were intelligent familiars to Odin. “Father, could Huginn or Muninn help us in other means?”

Odin stared at Thor quizzically. “In what manner do you speak on, Thor?”

Thor gestured to Loki. “Loki wished to have some way to share correspondence with Jane; would they aid us in the delivery of such letters?”

Odin’s brow drew down as he thought on Thor’s words. Normally such a request he would deny since his birds were not meant to be carrier pigeons, but he was coming to understand how important Jane had made herself to his family. She had certainly made an impact on both of his sons! Odin decided then that he too would have to have a more in-depth conversation with her at a later time. She was obviously a good influence on Loki, so Odin finally nodded. “I will grant the use of my birds for this mission, but,” He turned now to look at Loki very seriously, “if I grant you this privilege, I want your word that you will not abuse them. Such a journey is not made lightly, and I would ask that you only ask this of them no more than once a week. Am I clear?” 

“Yes, sir,” Loki replied. He had to suppress a smile. A larger feeling of excitement surged through him at the thought of sending Jane a letter. Won’t she be surprised!

Odin knew is son well enough, though, seeing the glint of happiness in his eyes, and this pleased Odin. He really did wish the best for both his sons and losing Frigga had taken a toll on him as it had on his sons and all of Asgard. She was an incredible woman, and he had picked her as a wife for a reason. There was enough sorrow discussed, and Odin moved the topic to a happier note. “I have spoken to the servants, and we will dine together nightly the nights that you plan to be at the palace from now on. I’d like to make a point for us to break bread and speak on our day. I think we have done too little of this in the past. I would see it change.”

Thor’s smile widened as he nodded enthusiastically. “I agree, Father. I would like that very much.”

Odin smiled at Thor’s eagerness, turning then to look at Loki to gauge his response to his plan.

Loki nodded in agreement. “Yes, I would like that.” A genuine smile finally appeared on his lips. He still continued to eye Odin. Some of the tension had left him during their talk about Frigga, but he still felt awkward around the man, and a part of him still didn’t trust him. Everything seemed too good to be true. He admitted that Odin had surprised him that night on several occasions, which he hadn’t expected, but he still felt distant. Loki assumed it would be that way until he and the All-Father had a chance to heal. He had to keep reminding himself that it would take time. Still…he was secretly afraid that he would do something to botch up everything. He really did want Odin to be proud of him, despite his recent feelings for the All-Father, and he wanted his love as well, but he knew that things could easily go sour at any moment.

Loki turned his eyes down to look at the necklace still in his hands.

Odin saw how tenderly he held the jewelry. “I will let you keep it safe until you can bring it to your mother, Loki,” he stated gently.

Loki nodded. "Thank you."

“So, tell me about your trip. I have heard reports, but I would like to hear from the two of you in more depth how it went.” He was looking directly at Loki now with a slightly raised brow.

Loki was momentarily thrown for a loop by the question. He had to keep himself from staring at Odin as he slowly set the necklace down on the table beside his empty plate. "I-it was...wonderful, for the most part. It had good and bad moments."

Odin nodded, still watching Loki intently. “So I have heard. Why don’t you tell me about these…moments?” Odin wanted to hear what Loki had to say about what he’d seen and done, more so to get an idea where the man stood on understanding what he’d learned while on Midgard.

Loki quickly ran through his memories, trying to choose the ones he didn't mind sharing. Odin had asked one of the questions he had wished he'd ask, but now he felt awkward sharing his memories. He wasn't sure why. If it had been Jane, he would have had no problem opening up. "Well, I spent a lot of time with Jane. We talked a lot about various topics, and we went to the library. She...reminds me a lot of Mother—caring, understanding, always willing to listen." Loki traced the edge of his plate with his finger. "Sh-she became my maternal guardian. Or at least, that's the title she gave herself."

Odin listened intently, nodding lightly as Loki rattled off his description. “Yes, I heard she took to the role rather well after your brother disciplined you for trying to tear off in the middle of the night. Where did you plan to go, I wonder?” Odin said this all simply with no hint of anger but rather an inquisitiveness. 

Loki swallowed, his cheeks turning the slightest red as he tried not to make eye contact with Odin. "Alfheim," he answered softly.

Odin inhaled deeply, stretching back in his chair once more; having moved mere inches from Loki while he’d questioned him. He nodded. “Well, I’m glad you didn’t make it. It’s hard to survive there, you realize, and with you having been depowered as it were, you would have likely not made it a week’s time without getting struck down by the ruthless inhabitants or eaten by its wild. Foolish boy.”

Loki looked up at Odin, confused as well as hurt by the sudden rebuke. "But...Alfheim is a peaceful realm. The Light Elves...wouldn't harm anyone. You know that."

“Do you think you are the only one who would wish to go there? Many things have changed in the past couple hundred years. When was the last time you traveled there?” Odin questioned him seriously.

Loki looked even more confused as he silently studied Odin’s face. He didn’t understand why the All-Father always insisted on playing this game with him every time they started a conversation. The man couldn’t focus on the good parts of anything but instead had to dig up past wrongdoings and shove them in his face all over again, even after he had already been punished for them. Loki eventually turned a pleading look to Thor before looking back to Odin.

“It can’t be any worse than the torture the Chitauri put me through,” Loki simply said in a soft voice, trying to keep his anger at bay. “Why are you saying these things to me? I did wrong and I’ve already been punished for it thoroughly by Thor and have been forgiven. Isn’t that enough?”

Thor started, "Father..." But Odin held up a hand to silence him. The All-Father's eyes never wavered from Loki. "I do not bring up your past transgressions to make you suffer. I speak on them because I wish to understand that you have learned from doing it in the first place."

Loki blinked. “Of course, I learned from it.”

Odin merely nodded, all the while staring at Loki with a penetrating gaze. “Indeed. Let us hope so.”

Thor offered, “Loki has shown great improvement, Father. It’s been a bit of a rough road, but there has definitely been a move to a better path. I’ve seen this with my own eyes and know it to be true!”

Odin regarded Thor, letting out a long sigh. “That is good to hear. I wished to know well your progress, as hearing reports only lend to a shadowed vision of the truth. Hearing the two of you tell me gives a much better understanding to know we are on the same page.”

The air felt thick after the short conversation, and Loki wasn’t sure what to say next. So he instead allowed his gaze to fall to the necklace on the table. He knew Odin had a hard time trusting him and even had no reason to trust him, after what he’d done in the past. He didn’t even trust himself sometimes. But he had spoken truth when he’d told Odin that he had learned. He had been truthful about it when he’d been talking to Jane about it in her office.

Odin did not question about their trip directly anymore, instead asking, “You said you wished to draw on star charts? I can have the patterns mimicked and reflected on the dais used to oversee Asgard. I could bring them up for you to study more closely, and it will give you a better chance to record them if you like.”

“I have my own charts that I have made. I was going to copy them,” Loki answered. “But it would be nice to make sure I have them correct. Thank you.” He smiled.

Odin’s smile grew. “We could bring them up tonight if you are interested. I can have the servants bring in a desk to set it up for you to comfortably do so.”

Loki nodded. “I would like that. I want to get started on them as soon as possible since I only have a month and a half to work on them. Well, less than that since we’ll be going to Niflheim part of the time.”

“Done.” Odin hailed a servant over and informed them to have a desk brought in for Loki to work at once their dinner had finished.

Thor seemed pleased that the two were getting along well. “We will head out on our journey by week’s end, I am sure.”

“Good,” Odin said as he rose. “I must adjourn to the throne room to weigh on a few more matters before calling it a day. Feel free to stay and enjoy as you will.”

Loki watched as Odin left, then he turned eyes down to the necklace again.

Thor watched Odin depart before staring curiously at Loki for a long moment before asking, “Are you okay?”

“I guess,” Loki replied.

“Do you want to take a walk to clear your mind? You look terribly burdened.” Thor understood he was feeling fresh pain to think on Frigga and thought a little fresh air might do his brother good.

“I really should get started on those star charts,” said Loki. “But I guess a small walk would be nice.” He reached and gathered up the necklace in his hand, fingering it. "Where do I put this to keep it safe?"

Thor tilted his head. “I don’t really know, Loki; do you think it best to keep it on your person? If not, then perhaps somewhere safe in your personal chambers until we depart would be best. We can stop by your room before we go for a walk if you’d like to put it somewhere safe beforehand,” Thor offered.

“No, we don’t have to stop by my room,” said Loki. He searched around on his tunic and found a small pocket, slipping the necklace inside. He smiled at Thor. "I think it best that I keep it on me." 

Thor nodded. “Aye, it’s likely safest that way,” he agreed as he pushed his chair back and rose to standing. “Well then, are you ready to be off?”

Loki nodded, standing up. “I’ll keep it on me for now. When we go to Volstagg’s, I will leave it in my room. I wouldn’t want the…” He couldn’t help a slight shudder, “kids...to get hold of it by accident.”

Thor laughed. “That would probably be wise. Where would you like to go walking? I’m up for most jaunts, especially now that the sun is waning.”

Loki thought a moment as he followed after Thor. “I guess the gardens would be nice.” 

“The gardens are a fine choice! It is a good place to get away.” Thor nodded as he waved Loki on. “Well then, come on, we’ll get some fresh air in before you decide to wrap yourself up in stuffy books,” Thor teased. “I, on the other hand, think I’ll make my way to the mead hall after we part ways.” Thor positively beamed. It had been entirely too long since he’d had a chance to slam down a barrel of beer.

Loki followed along quietly as his thoughts drifted to Jane. He wished he could talk with her again. He wished he could hear her read to him or enjoy one of her massages…or just empty his jumbled thoughts to her. A tear trickled down his cheek and he lifted a hand to quickly brush it away before Thor saw it. He looked over at his brother, trying to imagine what he would say if he asked him for a massage. Loki cringed. It just wouldn’t be the same.

The two walked through the palace and out to the back courtyards where the gardens spread out over several acres. Frigga had loved plants and flowers, so Odin had ensured that she had been treated to a lush garden filled to the brim with exotic plants and flowers growing in a hostile takeover of the grounds and creating a shaded canopy of leaves to walk under. Inset within the walkway, a square pond had been crafted out of the finest stones and engraved with runic symbols of health and vitality. The pond was surrounded by the sounds of crickets and bullfrogs bounding across lily pads. A group of swans crested across the pond, dipping their heads in and out of the water in search of tiny morsels, only looking up briefly at their arrival before ignoring them once more. Thor stopped to regard the scene, taking in a deep breath to smell the varied scents of the many different flowers that now bloomed in surrounding areas. “I wish Jane could see this…” Thor mused sadly as he too was missing Jane, and seeing this garden only reminded him that she was not there to witness its beauty.

Loki nodded in agreement as he lowered himself to sit on the ground. "Me, too. And I wish she could give me a massage before bed," he said softly.

Thor chuckled. “You and those massages. I swear she’s made you addicted.”

"Is that a bad thing?" Loki smirked.

Thor shrugged. “I don’t suppose so, but then again, she’s left you craving them now, which is.” He smirked.

Loki playfully rolled his eyes. "It's not just the massages. I miss her company. I miss...being able to talk to her about things."

Thor nudged him. “Well then, talk to me. I’m here for you right now. Just pretend that I am her.” He shot Loki a winning smile now, both in jest and warm encouragement to talk.

Loki slowly looked up at Thor, frowning. "It's not the same." He sighed, turning away. Loki wasn't sure how to explain it on terms Thor could understand. Jane had a way about her that made him come alive and open up in a way no one else could. "I don't mean to be rude. I know we used to have wonderful conversations in the past. But...it's like I told Odin...Jane reminds me of Mother. I just...for a brief time felt like I had a mother again when she was around."

Thor frowned, feeling slightly rejected, but he did understand. He didn’t possess the maternal qualities that Loki was obviously looking for. He sat down on the edge of the pond, in a patch of soft grass. “I get that I am not what you prefer, but I do hope that you know that I am here for you. I will do my best to help assuage whatever grieves you.” 

Whatever grieved him. That was a long list. But mostly...he just wanted someone. Loki looked over at Thor. He still had mixed feelings for his brother. A part of him still wanted to hate him while the other part admired and wanted his big brother. He let out a sigh. "I just want someone that will help me feel safe," he said in a low, watery voice.

Thor reached out, grabbing Loki from under his arms and around his waist. Thor's massive arms pulled Loki up in one swift motion onto his lap as he wrapped around his smaller frame, giving Loki a firm hug. He chuckled softly. "Do you feel safe now?"

Loki, taken off guard, squirmed a bit at the treatment, not knowing how to react to being pulled into Thor's lap like a child. But then he relaxed and wrapped his arms around Thor's bulky form, leaning his head against him and closing his eyes. "Yes," he answered softly. Thor might not have offered the same comfort as Jane did, but he was still his brother—the brother he had looked up to when they were children and that had comforted him during times when he had needed it. As he sat there in the embrace, he really did feel safe. He hugged Thor tighter. It was the safety he had longed to feel when he was in the hands of the Chitauri.

Sensing Loki's need for comfort, Thor held him closer, placing his chin on top of his head and rocking slightly while staring out at the pond. "This is nice, is it not?" His voice reverberated through Loki in a soft treble.

Loki nodded, sighing.

Thor wanted Loki to feel at peace, so he remained sitting where he was with Loki in his lap. He relaxed his arms, letting them hang loosely on Loki’s knees, so the trickster was still embraced but not feeling trapped within it. “I can’t replace Jane, but I will always do my best to make you feel safe with me.”

“Th-thank you,” Loki said softly. He relaxed and moved into a more comfortable position. A small smile played across his lips. “This reminds me of when we were kids.”

“Aye, I was thinking the same thing,” Thor murmured. Thor gave Loki another tight squeeze before standing and reaching down a hand to help Loki to his feet. “Those were good times; we can get back to that, I think. We just have to try.”

Loki uttered a whine, not wanting Thor to get up. He sighed and took Thor’s hand.

Thor brought him to standing in one swift pull, tugging him into another hug as he kissed the top of his head. “We are going to heal this family, Loki. One day at a time.”

Loki smiled and gave a small nod. He didn’t know how their family would ever fully heal without Frigga, but he decided to keep those thoughts to himself.

Thor tilted his head looking down at Loki. “Do you want to keep walking, or would you like to do something else? I was going to head to the mead hall for a little while when we are done here, but you’re always welcome to go there with me if you wish.”

“I…I was enjoying sitting in your lap and talking,” Loki admitted with a small smile. “But we can keep walking if you prefer.”

Thor smiled, tussling Loki’s hair. “It’s good to have you back, Loki. Come on, we can walk a little more; maybe we’ll sit a little longer on the way back. I might even be convinced to give you a small massage, but don’t get it in your head to get them as often as Jane was spoiling you,” he playfully warned.

Loki's eyes brightened and he turned to follow along beside Thor as they started walking again. "Thor, if Odin does grant Jane permission to visit here, do you have any special plans? I was thinking maybe we could take her to our secret place and maybe camp there or somewhere near there. Real camping. Not the mortals' idea of it. I told Jane that I would take her camping where we could sleep under the stars and she could study them."

“You did?” Thor queried, looking at Loki in surprise before turning away and considering Loki’s words. He nodded. “I think you’re right. It would be a good place to take her.”

"I didn't tell her we would take her to our secret place. That's up to you. But I did mention about taking her camping. I...feel I sort of owe her, seeing as how our last attempt at camping didn't turn out so well."

Thor nodded. “I think she would like what you’ve got planned, and, of course, I think it’s a splendid idea. If Father lets Jane come to Asgard, we can definitely bring her to our secret place.”

Loki smiled. "So what about you? What plans do you have?"

Thor mused, “Tonight? Or if Jane ever comes to visit? You know I wanted to go to the mead hall tonight, but as for Jane? I’m not really sure. The campsite is a good start outside of the wonders of Asgard. It’s hard to say with a mortal, though. Jane is a delicate creature in a realm like this. We must be extremely careful if she ever does come here. Asgard is a dangerous place for a mortal.”

Loki rolled his eyes. "You and your mead. I meant plans with Jane. I know she's a delicate creature. I'm mortal now, too, remember?"

He smiled. “Of course, mead is a beautiful thing, you know.” He chuckled before growing serious. “I understand what you mean. I’m not used to thinking in regards to caring for mortals. You may be mortal, but you’re different. You still understand Asgard and its dangers. Jane…it’s a whole different animal with her. I’ll definitely need your guidance.”

Loki nodded. “My guidance? In what way?” He actually felt a bit honored that Thor would come to him for guidance, but he wasn’t sure how he would be able to help. He wasn’t an expert on mortals.

“Your knowledge of Asgard is much more extensive from all of the readings you’ve done. If and when we do bring Jane here, you can help us navigate away from any place that might put either of you in danger.” Thor paused, looking abashed. “I’m not known for my forethought on such things of this, I know. I would not put either of you in danger willingly, and so your guidance would be most useful in determining good places to take her I would think.”

Loki gave a nod and a smile. “I’ll do my best.”

"I've no doubt." Thor smiled at Loki. "So, where do you want to walk to next?"

“Doesn’t matter,” Loki replied. “I have nowhere specific that I’d want to walk to.”

Thor nodded. "Okay then, we can walk through the maze and just talk until we come back out the other side to have a scenic view. Then perhaps if you are up to it, we can relax at the mead hall." A smile tugged at Thor's lips as he mentioned the mead hall.

Loki gave a nod. “Sounds fine. Although I’ve already said that I won’t be joining you in the mead hall. I have to get started on the charts.” He smiled. “Just don’t forget that you said we can sit by the pond a little while longer on the way back. And you said something about a massage.”

Thor sighed. Loki always was one to remind him of technicalities. He chuckled. “You’ve got me. I was hoping you may have changed your mind. I will give you that massage by the pond once we have exited the maze, you have my word.”

“You and your mead, me and my massages.” Loki smirked. 

Thor laughed as they entered the maze. “Yes if only we could enjoy both at the same time, eh?”

Loki playfully tugged at Thor’s hair. "Nice thought, but I don't think I want you drinking mead while you massage me."

Thor laughed, pushing Loki away playfully. “No? I’d only end up splashing a little on you, I’m sure. Well, that is until I got several meads in me, then…well, then you might have to really worry.”

“What could you possibly do that would be so bad that I would have to really worry?” Loki asked with an amused laugh.

Thor lifted an eyebrow, giving Loki a goofy look. “Do you really have to ask? Have you not seen me with copious amounts of mead in me? You might end up getting a mead bath with how unsteady my hand may get.” Thor laughed.

“Oh, that.” Loki grinned. “I thought you meant something far worse by the way you said it. Not that I want a mead bath either.” He reached out and snapped off a twig from a nearby bush and raised it up, over Thor’s right shoulder, to subtly tickle Thor’s cheek.

Thor, who was used to such teasing by Loki, was quick as lightning, snatching him up and throwing him over his shoulder, tickling his side where he couldn’t get away from him.

Loki let out a rather undignified squeal as Thor grabbed him up and slung him over his shoulder. When he felt the tickling commence, he broke out in laughter as he squirmed and kicked in Thor’s hold. “Thor!” he got out through his laughter. Loki always hated how easy it was for Thor to pick him up and do whatever he wished with him, but at the same time, he enjoyed the attention.

“What’s that, brother?” Thor chuckled as he tickled Loki’s ribs where he knew Loki was most ticklish. “I can’t hear you over your laughing!”

Loki squirmed harder, his legs aimlessly kicking at the air, as he laughed louder, tears beginning to run down his cheeks. “It’s not fair! You know where my weak spots are!” he breathed out. He fought against the tickle onslaught for as long as he could before he decided to take drastic measures. Reaching down, he playfully tugged Thor’s trousers down in the back.

Thor’s back went rigid as he let Loki slip back onto the ground to pull his pants back in place. “Loki! You knave!” Thor gave him a playful swat to the rear. “Ever the trickster you are!”

"Watch it, Thor, I'm still sore!" Loki quickly moved his hands behind him to shield his rear, although he was still grinning. "It made you put me down, didn't it?"

“Aye,” Thor laughed, “That it did. You did well to find a weakness, and I think I found one as well, so you might want to be careful being too tricky there,” Thor teased.

Loki frowned. "You wouldn't."

“You’re right, I wouldn’t, unless the trick was cruel or went a little too far, but I don’t think I need to tell you that,” Thor informed.

Loki was in too good a mood and too worked up to let Thor's words bother him for more than a few seconds. He gave Thor a smug smile. "Bet you can't catch me," he said as he started backing away.

Thor snickered. “Oh? You’re on, Loki. I’ll even give you a head start.” Thor grinned cheekily.

Smiling, Loki turned and bolted down the path, turned a corner, and disappeared into the shrubbery.

Thor listened in the direction Loki dashed to, giving him ten seconds before vaulting over the maze to cut Loki off from the other side of the hedging.

Loki yelped in surprise and turned toward the path again, running down the length of it and zigzagging around corners. When he felt he was far enough away from Thor, he stopped and looked behind him.

Thor had taken off running after Loki, sputtering to a stop when he’d lost him. He moved about, looking and listening, trying to find a trace of the trickster.

Loki kept silent and listened for Thor, carefully taking small steps backward.

Thor spent several minutes listening before stealthily hoping up on top of the hedge, looking around until he caught a flash of Loki’s coattails. Grinning, Thor assessed the quickest route to catch him as he quietly jumped down to the ground and carefully snuck up behind Loki, grabbing him in one swift motion.

Loki uttered a yelp of surprise as Thor grabbed onto him. "Nonononono, you're not supposed to catch me this soon!" he said, squirming and kicking in Thor's grasp. The grin on his face told that he was still amused by the actions.

Thor laughed. “If you did not wish to be caught quickly, then you should not have challenged me to be the one to catch you.” Thor released Loki gently onto the ground and righting him once more.

"I could have outrun you easily. I'm just tired," said Loki.

“Of course.” Thor smiled, giving his brother a knowing look. “Well, I would not wish to wind you further. Let us continue, so you may rest soon.”

Loki briefly looked disappointed. He had enjoyed the whole romp, even if Thor had caught him. He nodded anyway and took up his place next to Thor as they continued walking.

The two continued through the maze. Thor regarded Loki with a smile. “You seem better since dinner. Are a lot of your fears put to rest now?”

Loki bit his lip, lowering his gaze to the ground. He was silent as he contemplated Thor’s question. “Uh…What I said earlier about wanting someone to help me feel safe,” He wrung his hands, “I-I’ve been having nightmares…of the Chitauri. I've been seeing horrible images in my dreams and waking up in the middle of the night."

Thor looked concerned. “You have, have you? What sorts of horrible images?”

Loki swallowed. “Images of…of when I was in the Chitauri’s hands. They’re different every time I have a nightmare. Sometimes I’m in a prison cell. Sometimes I’m being tortured.” He tugged at his tunic nervously, shuddering slightly. “I had a few nightmares when we were at Jane’s, but I didn’t want to say anything.”

Thor reached over to wrap an arm around Loki. “I am sorry you’ve been having these bad dreams. Do you think they are coming from your previous treatment? We may be able to go to the healing chamber to see if the healers can help ease your mind from such sufferings.”

“N-no, that’s okay. I’m done with anything medical for a long while, doctors and healers,” Loki said with another shudder. He glanced at Thor then looked down again. "What the Chitauri did to me was horrible, Thor. There's no wonder that I see images of it in my dreams."

Thor nodded gravely. “I am sorry that you had to go through that. I wish I could have saved you from that kind of suffering.” As he said this, Thor’s jaw set tightly and he clenched his fists at the thought of anyone hurting his brother in such a way.

Loki nodded, not really knowing what to say. His mouth worked a few minutes before he finally spoke again. “They threatened me with more pain if I failed them in New York," he suddenly blurted out. He hadn't meant for their walk to turn into this, but he figured it was best to go ahead and get it out in the open. He'd already told Jane and felt relief from it. He wasn't sure why he felt need to tell Thor, but he felt like he needed to.

Thor looked lost in thought for a long moment as he considered Loki’s words. “I will have words with Heimdall to keep an extra careful watch, if they are after you, Heimdall will spot them coming. We should probably tell Father as well if you truly think these Chitauri are actively looking for you.”

Loki looked at Thor a long moment. “I-I don’t want the whole of Asgard to know,” he said softly. “I don’t know if they are looking for me or not. But I fear what they might do if we ever do meet again…”

Thor growled. “They should fear what _I_ will do to them if they try to do anything to you.” The man visibly bristled.

Loki blinked as he took in Thor’s reaction. Then he smiled, stepping closer to Thor and putting an arm around him and leaning his head against his shoulder. He felt greater relief knowing he had told his brother about that one little thing.

Thor pulled him closer protectively. He was still a bit tense from the thought of anyone hunting his family.

“It just feels good to be back,” Loki said in a low voice.

“And here you were dreading coming back home. You see, everything is going to be just fine.” The two reemerged on the other side of the maze then and headed back over to the pond to find a comfortable place to sit. Thor pointed to a log. “I can sit there, if you want to sit on the grass in front of me, I can give you that massage you were wanting.”

“I didn't say home specifically. I just meant…it feels good to be back with someone I know, and have the comfort knowing that I am safe,” said Loki, shuddering again. He walked around in front of Thor and lowered himself down on the ground with his back to Thor. “Just remember that I’m mortal now, so don’t crush my shoulders and neck with your strength.”

Thor laughed. “I think I can manage, or did you forget that Jane is also a mortal? I have yet to crush her…well, not intentionally. I have rolled over on her while asleep, and she had to hit me to wake me up enough to move off of her. That doesn’t really count though in this regard.” He patted Loki’s shoulder gently before pressing his thumbs gently into Loki’s shoulders.

Loki laughed at the image Thor's words made in his mind. Then his face grew serious as Thor began to massage him. "I still feel...rather awkward being here," he said, continuing the conversation they had been having when they had arrived at the pond.

“Awkward? Why?” Thor queried as he swept Loki’s hair to the side to better get at his shoulders.

Loki closed his eyes, enjoying the massage. Thor wasn't half bad at this sort of thing, he had to admit. But he had to shake his head at Thor's ignorance. "Everything that's led up to this point." He sighed. "You can't expect me to feel comfortable being back here, walking around the palace. I'm pretty sure there are some people around here who would like to see me still in prison. I was tense all through our dinner with Odin tonight, even though it went...fairly well."

Thor nodded. “Facing what you’ve done and moving on is never easy, but you are doing well enough, I think. It’s going to take time to heal, Loki—for you, and for Asgard. You must know this, yes?”

Loki sighed. "Yes, I know." He picked a blade of grass and began rolling it between his fingers. "I can't wait to get back to Jane and Darcy, though."

Thor sighed. “It would be even better to have Jane and Darcy with us.” Thor would want nothing more than to have both halves of his life merge, so he could be with Jane and still be home in Asgard.

Loki smiled and nodded in agreement. Then his thoughts moved to Sandra and how she would react if he told her everything about him. He laughed lightly.

“What’s so funny?” Thor asked inquisitively. 

"I was just thinking how Sandra would react to me bringing her here," said Loki with another small laugh.

Thor smiled, nodding. "You really like this Sandra, then?"

Loki shrugged. "I guess. I really don't know. We've only talked once outside of the hospital." He smiled. "She _is_ pretty, though."

Thor chuckled. "She is. She has a kind face. Maybe when we return, you two can get to know each other better."

“Perhaps,” said Loki, smiling. "Although, I'm not sure she'll be ready to hear where I really come from and who I really am." 

Thor grunted. “It could be a problem. Mortals are very unpredictable. I would hope for the best but still prepare for the worst.”

“I can agree with that. Not all mortals are like Darcy and Jane.” He sighed. “I’ll probably hold off telling Sandra for awhile. At least until we get to know each other better.”

This sounded for the best Thor agreed with a small nod. “If she is capable of understanding, you will know it, I am sure.”

Loki gave a light shrug. “I’m not used to being around mortals.”

“No, but you’ll adapt quickly, I’m fairly sure,” Thor said with confidence, moving one of his hands to massage Loki’s neck.

“I guess so. There _is_ Jane and Darcy, but I meant aside from them. Any other mortal…I feel uncomfortable around for some reason. I guess because I’ve always viewed mortals as, I don’t know, beneath me. It’s hard to know how to act around them.” Loki closed his eyes and leaned into the massage.

Thor tutted, “I felt the very way you did when I first traveled to Midgard. I think this is why Father chose it as a place to send me with my strength stripped from me. He wanted me to temper my will and my mind to understand that we are all worthy of taking notice of no matter how much dominion we think we may be able to proceed over someone, it does not make you their king.”

Loki silently listened to Thor as he thought back to when he was in Germany, trying to force the people there to bow before him.

Thor had ended the conversation on that note, continuing to massage Loki now in silence as they both seemed to be quietly pondering. 

“Thor,” Loki finally broke the silence, “I want to go into the village some time before we leave for Niflheim and visit the shops and vendors. I’d like to get some birthday gifts for Jane and also some trinkets for Darcy.”

“I don’t see why that would be a problem. If things go well when we finish up for the day at Volstagg’s tomorrow, we can head over to the stalls if you’d like,” Thor offered.

"Sounds fine," said Loki. "What do you plan to get Jane?"

Thor smiled widely. “I haven’t decided yet actually. I thought I would find something unique on our travels perhaps? We have a month and a half, so there is still plenty of time to decide.”

Loki leaned back against Thor as he continued to enjoy the massage. "I never knew you were so good at this."

Thor huffed. “Don’t get used to it. You’ll not have me pampering you like the girls did at Jane’s, I can assure you.” As he said this, he tussled Loki’s hair.

Loki frowned, then leaned his head back to look up at Thor. "Not even if I give you my puppy eyes?" he said, giving Thor a sad look.

Thor reached out, pinching Loki’s nose lightly as he laughed. “That doesn’t work on me anymore, remember?”

Loki pooched his lip out. "Thought I'd give it another try..."

Thor grunted, his smile widening. “It would not be you if you did not.”

Loki smiled, then sat up straight again, moving to sit cross-legged.

Thor continued to massage Loki’s shoulders for about ten more minutes before rising and holding out a hand to help Loki up. “I hope that was sufficient, my brother. Now then, the mead hall doth call, I do believe.” Thor smirked. 

Loki grabbed hold of Thor’s hand, nodding. “And I need to get started on those charts.”

Thor pulled Loki to standing, steadying him. “Would you like me to walk you back, or just come to get you from your quarters in the morning?”

“Walking back to my quarters together would be nice,” Loki replied.

Thor nodded. “Then let us be off. Lead the way.” Thor was quite happy with the way that their day had ended. He had silently worried with how upset Loki had been before dinner that there might have been an unpleasant incident at dinner. One could never tell with Loki and Odin in the same room these days. Ever since the trickster’s first return, there had been an uneasy friction that had grown between the two, but tonight was a marked difference to how the two had interacted in a long while. It warmed Thor’s heart to see it. He needed to see his family mending, especially after Frigga’s death. They all needed each other very much to even begin to stop hurting.

Loki silently led the way back into the palace and down the hallway that would take them to the royal family’s private bed chambers, eventually stopping outside his own. He turned to Thor, smiling. “Don’t drink too much.”

Thor let out a hearty laugh, slapping Loki on the back. “That, my dear brother, I cannot promise!” he said this with a wide magnanimous grin. “But go on and enjoy yourself. I will be by in the morning to collect you…when I wake that is. Volstagg, Hogun, Fandral, and Sif will likely already be there, and we have no plans to start work too early tomorrow anyway.”

Loki winced at the pain the backslap made, giving Thor a nod. He watched his brother leave before he turned to open the door to his room. He wasted no time and immediately went to work on his star charts, using the device Odin had provided him with to check the charts he had made long ago. He corrected some mistakes, then set to work copying them and his own personal notes onto pieces of parchment he cut into page sheets. He also included some notes and information about Asgard’s suns and moons. He silently, diligently worked for the first part of the night until his vision started to blur. Try as he might, he would never get used to how fast exhaustion came to mortals. The only sound he heard the whole night was Thor’s loud singing when he returned from the mead hall and had walked past his door. Despite his weariness, Loki pushed himself to work a bit more. An hour later, he was proudly looking down at a half-finished copy of Asgard’s stars spanning several pages, a satisfied feeling of accomplishment surging through him. He would finish it up the next night after he and Thor came back from Volstagg’s. Then after that, he would copy all of it again for Darcy’s book. After he got Asgard’s charts out of the way, he would start on some of the other realms. Unfortunately, he hadn’t completed some of the star charts to the other realms since he was still in the process of studying their stars, but he would copy what he had. He wanted to get the chart books done, or mostly done before they started on their trip to Niflheim because he wasn’t sure how long it would take them to make that trip. After looking over his recent work again, he yawned. He changed into his pajamas, turned out the light, and went to bed.

About twenty minutes into sleep, Loki screamed out and bolted upright in bed. His breathing was labored and his body covered in sweat, his hair sticking to his face and neck. It took him several minutes to get his bearings as his eyes continued to quickly scan the pitch black room before him. At first, he was confused as to where he was, until the realization that he was in his room on Asgard came back to him. He was used to the room he had slept in when he was staying at Jane’s. It had been dark, but it had also been partly lit by the streetlights outside. After his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he could make out the shapes of the furniture and doors, which had given him an odd feeling of comfort. Here, his room was engulfed in complete blackness. The only way he could tell that anything was in the room was feeling of the bed under him. He quickly scrambled to his feet and stumbled to the door, wrenching it open so that the light from the hallway could filter in. His heart still pounded in his chest as he stared around him—at the bed in front of him, at the shattered mirror on his right, at his desk. At this moment, it finally dawned on him that he had had another nightmare. The last thing he remembered was being in a prison cell with a Chitauri soldier leaning over him, doing something painful to him. His face scrunched up at remembering the fuzzy visions and a shudder coursed through his body.

Turning, Loki bolted out of the room and made his way down the hall, stopping outside Thor’s bedroom. He pushed open the door and quietly walked in, closing it behind him. He felt through the darkness until his hand came in contact with the side of Thor’s bed. He hesitated, listening to the thunder god’s heavy snoring. He briefly felt foolish since he hadn’t done anything like this since he was a kid. But he knew he’d never get back to sleep being alone in his own room. He had been alone when he was held prisoner by the Chitauri and had spent countless hours wishing to be in the comforting arms of someone. Feeling like the darkness of the current room was closing in on him, he shuddered and quickly lifted the covers and crawled into the bed. He pulled the covers tight around him and snuggled as close to Thor as he could possibly get, pushing his face into his chest. At first, he was afraid he would wake Thor, but his brother kept on snoring as if the jostling about had never happened. Not unusual. If Thor drank as much mead as he usually did, then he would be out until late morning. Loki let out a contented sigh and closed his eyes, sticking a thumb in his mouth.


	34. An Afternoon at Volstagg’s House

Thor found himself blinking awake with his face buried in the back of a head. At first, he wondered if somehow in his drunken revelry he’d taken another woman to bed. He froze, untangling his limbs from around the form that turned reflexively back towards the vacated warmth. Seeing it was Loki, Thor visibly relaxed, letting his arm lay back onto Loki’s shoulder. He couldn’t help the smile that graced his lips to see Loki like this. It had been quite some time since he had seen Loki sleeping so peacefully, and it set his own heart at ease. He didn’t wake him, just laying a tender kiss on the top of Loki’s head. He lay there, drowsing comfortably as he watched Loki slumber and waited for him to wake on his own.

Ten minutes later, Loki’s eyes finally fluttered open. He took his thumb out of his mouth and yawned, stretching. His eyes sleepily stared up at Thor in confusion. Then he suddenly remembered he had had a bad dream and his cheeks lightly flushed red.

Thor stared warmly down at Loki as he looked up to him, it had been a long while, but Loki had always come to him like this after having a nightmare. They had spoken about nightmares last night, so Thor put two and two together. “Did you have a bad dream again?”

Loki swallowed, looking away and then back at Thor. Without saying a word, he nodded.

Thor pulled Loki a little closer to him as he spoke tenderly, “Care to tell me about it?”

Loki pulled the cover closer to his chin as he thought about Thor's question. "I-I was in a prison cell with a Chitauri soldier hovering over me, doing something painful to me. Tha-that's all I remember. I...woke up screaming and covered in sweat...and that's when I came in here."

Thor nodded. “I’m sorry you had a bad dream. This is like old times, though, yes?” He stroked Loki’s hair back and cupped his cheek with a meaty paw. “You will always be safe here with me, Loki. I will make sure of it.” He gave Loki a reassuring smile to comfort him.

A small smile formed on Loki's lips. "Old times, yes, but...I do feel a little silly. I'm...much too old to be doing this." His cheeks flushed a deeper red. "But...I couldn't bring myself to sleep alone. I was alone..." He paused, lowering his voice, "I was alone the whole time they held me captive."

Thor let out a soft sigh, caressing Loki’s hair once more behind his ear. “Well, you’re not alone now, and never fear this…climbing into my bed if you are feeling too alone. I am your brother, we are family, and I will always be here for you.”

Loki's face softened as his lips curled into a smile again. "Thank you," he whispered.

Thor leaned down to kiss the top of his head. “Anytime, Loki. Now then, are you about ready to start the day? I’m starving!” He gave Loki an impossible grin.

Loki rolled his eyes, his smile widening. "You always are." He pulled the covers off him and sat up. Suddenly he was hit with the thought that this was the first morning without Jane. No seeing her face. No hearing her wishing him good morning. No breakfast in her little kitchen. His smile dropped and he looked around the room, sighing sadly. He had to fight the urge to lay back down and go back to sleep.

Thor looked at his change of attitude with concern. “What’s the matter, Loki?”

“I was just thinking about Jane,” Loki replied with a sigh. “This is my first morning waking up without seeing her and having breakfast in her kitchen.”

Thor nodded glumly. "Aye, I miss her too." Thor sighed. "She would not wish for us to feel sad, so let's honor her by thinking good thoughts of her to keep us happy for the time until we will get to return to see her again."

Loki forced a smile then rolled out of bed to stand. He stretched. “I will need a few minutes to change before we get breakfast,” he said.

Thor nodded. "Go get yourself ready, and I will meet you in the grand hall. I eat more than you anyway." Thor chuckled.

 _Yeah, like a pig_ , Loki thought, but he kept the thought to himself as he walked out of Thor’s room and down the hallway to his own room where he freshened up in his personal bathroom, brushed his hair, and changed clothes. Soon he stood in front of his busted mirror, straightening up parts of his clothing. Before leaving to join Thor, Loki called in one of the servants, explaining that he wanted the mirror repaired, the broken glass swept up, and the clothing he had taken to Midgard cleaned. When everything was in order, he exited the room and made his way to the grand hall where he found Thor seated at a long table with foods already spread out before him. He smirked, walking up to gently take a seat next to his brother.

Thor turned a bright smile on Loki. "Ah! You made it! I did my best not to eat all the pastries...but you were gone so long." He pointed to a plate where one lonely pastry sat. Thor looked apologetic.

Loki rolled his eyes, shaking his head. "You are unbelievable. I'm glad Volstagg is not here. Between the two of you, the rest of us would starve."

Thor looked wounded a moment before pointing to the rest of the table. “But there is still plenty to eat.”

The look on Thor’s face, although brief, didn’t escape Loki. “I was only jesting,” he said. “Of course, there’s plenty here to eat.”

Thor visibly cheered. “Yes, yes there is. I…I just felt bad that I ate most of the pastries before you arrived. I do so love those pastries, you know.”

“Perhaps the cooks can fix more.” Loki smiled.

Thor smiled. “I’m sure they could. Did you wish for me to go ask this of them?”

Loki gave a small shrug. “Doesn’t matter.” He reached to put some of the nearby food on his plate, briefly wishing he had some bacon.

Thor seemed appeased. “Well then if it doesn’t matter, I’ll not bother the cooks, but I can get you something to drink. Would you like me to get you a glass of milk or water to go with your breakfast?”

“Milk,” Loki answered after a few seconds of thought.

Thor nodded, moving from the table and returning a minute later with a small pitcher of cold milk and a goblet. “Milk, as requested.” Thor poured a glass for him and sat down to continue munching here and there while Loki had his breakfast.

As Loki ate in silence, he thought about the day’s activities ahead of them: going to Volstagg’s, a trip to the markets, dinner with Odin, more work on the star charts. His heart sank a little when his thoughts drifted back to going to Volstagg’s. He gave a shudder at the thought of being around all of those kids. He didn't like being around kids normally, but he sure didn't like the thought of being around them while being mortal. All of those kicking, flailing, and prodding feet and hands would give him bruises for sure. He quickly glanced at Thor before turning his attention back to the food on his plate. If Thor thought he was going to babysit a bunch of loud children, he had another thing coming. He would take some of his books and try to find a quiet place to read until the time came for them to leave.

“Loki? You’re just pushing food around on your plate now. Is there something the matter?” Thor asked after watching on in concern for a few minutes. Loki had eaten, but then he’d gotten a far off look on his face where his brow drew down, leaving Thor to wonder if he were angry for some reason.

"No. Nothing's wrong," Loki replied, putting his fork down. "I was just thinking of the day's activities. And...the kids."

Thor nodded. “Well, if you are finished, then let’s be on our way,” Thor stated jovially.

Loki shoved the last of his food in his mouth, gulped down the last of his milk, and got up from the table, telling Thor that he wanted to take a quick trip back to his room before leaving. Thor nodded and told him that he would wait for him by the main entrance to the palace.

The trickster made his way to his quarters. Here he washed his face and hands, then moved to his bed chamber where he pulled out a small bag from his storage trunk. The bag was big enough to hold three or four books at most. He walked over to his bookshelves and picked out several choice books and slipped them inside the bag. When he was done and about to leave the room, he suddenly remembered Frigga’s necklace. He stopped halfway to the door, sliding his hand down into a pocket of his tunic and pulling the piece of jewelry out. He stared at it a moment before turning to walk toward his trunk again. He rummaged around inside until he found a tiny drawstring leather pouch. He slipped the necklace inside and placed it in the trunk, closing the lid. He quickly glanced around the room, making sure everything was in proper order, then turned to leave. He quickly walked to the palace’s main entrance where he found Thor patiently waiting. Loki gave him a smile and nodded that he was ready to head out.

The two made their way through the crowded streets of Asgard, moving down the cobblestone roads, past the bazaar, and into the homestead area. It was about a three-mile walk to get to Volstagg’s cottage, but as Thor and Loki crested the hill, the yelling and banging noises of rambunctious children could be heard. Sif, Hogun, and Fandral were already present, sitting on the back porch engaged in a friendly conversation. Volstagg’s booming voice carried across the fields. “Thor! And is it? Yes! Loki! Oh welcome! Welcome!” the burly man bellowed, stepping off the porch and walking towards Thor with wide outstretched arms.

Thor was scooped up into a bear hug as he grunted. “Don’t break a rib, Volstagg, lest I not be able to help you very well!” Thor chided jokingly.

Fandral started moving off the porch to greet his friend as well, and Hogun, ever silent, just watched from the porch with crossed arms, a neutral expression, as always, depicted across his features.

Sif eyed Loki warily, but she said nothing. It was not lost on the Trickster that she was not going out of her way to be amiable towards him.

Loki turned his eyes away from Sif. He had stopped a few feet behind Thor and hung back as he watched Fandral and Volstagg and Thor share their greetings. He shouldered his book bag and nudged at the ground with the toe of his boot.

Volstagg finally released Thor, reaching over to Loki and throwing an arm around him and pulling him to his chest. “So! Thor says you are here to help!” Volstagg’s belly shuttered with a guttural laugh.

Loki's eyes widened and he scrambled in the tight hold as he pushed against Volstagg. "Careful!" he squeaked out. "I'm m-mortal now!"

Volstagg blinked, releasing Loki and looking slightly stupefied before looking at Thor questioningly.

Thor nodded. “Aye, Father took his powers from him as he did when he punished me.”

Volstagg nodded knowingly now. “Well, no matter, we will make sure you are not put in any danger.” As Volstagg said this, he gave Loki a gentle pat on the shoulder.

Hogun and Sif seemed unmoved by the news, and Fandral completely ignored Loki, moving over to give his salutations to Thor.

Loki only nodded as he tried pulling himself together. He checked his ribs and smoothed back his hair. He then put his hands behind him and rubbed at his bottom, since his scrambling had reawakened the soreness that still lingered there. With one hand busy rubbing his butt, he bent down and picked up his book bag and moved out of the way, watching Fandral.

Once Fandral had said his piece to Thor, he gave Loki a glance and smirked. “Loki.” He gave a small nod of acknowledgment before turning back towards the house.

Volstagg and Thor also started moving towards the house when a huge eruption came in the sounds of children screaming merrily, “Thor!” At least half of Volstagg’s brood came barreling out the door now. The youngest of Volstagg’s progeny it would seem. They came racing towards him at full force, all piling on him excitedly as Thor laughed, letting them tackle him to the ground.

Loki continued to stand in the same spot, a painful expression appearing on his face as he watched the onslaught. His eyes then turned to Sif again, then to Hogun, then finally to Fandral.

Sif smirked, watching the scene as did Fandral. Hogun’s stance never changed, still standing stock still, arms crossed.

“Alright, alright! Let the man alone!” Volstagg bellowed merrily, picking up one child by the britches and another by the ankle.

The other children let out disappointed whines but otherwise acquiesced to their father’s request and crawled off of a still laughing Thor.

Thor hopped to his feet giving a quick dust off before heading towards Volstagg’s cottage as the children ran around him playfully.

Finally, Loki moved. He slowly and cautiously walked toward the cottage, kicking at patches of grass along the way. He arrived about the same time Thor did, although he kept to the side, giving the children a wide berth.

All the children were herded into the house by their mother, leaving behind a raucous wave of noise as they went. The Warriors Three remained on the porch as Thor made his way onto the covered porch.

Volstagg turned to them. “Are either of you thirsty? Hungry?”

“I am fine.” Thor waved him off, and Volstagg peered over at Loki. 

Loki walked closer to the porch. “I'm fine, too,” he said. He was still full from breakfast so he felt pretty good for the time being. He gingerly sat down on the edge of the porch, letting his bag slide off his shoulder to set beside him. A small wince played across his face. His rear was healing, but it still held a soreness and ache that flared every now and then, especially when his cheeks came in contact with an especially hard surface. Volstagg’s porch wasn’t exactly the most comfortable place in Asgard, he quickly found out. He subtly pushed his hands under him.

Thor had spent much of his time in the mead hall catching up with his friends, so now the group mostly talked about the renovation plans and who planned to be doing what. Volstagg laid out the plans for everyone to see, and soon tasks were being divided up.

Fandral called over to Loki, "Since you're suffering from mortality, you can take the easiest job of helping to nail in the support beams," he offered.

Loki flinched at Fandral’s choice of words. He looked up from where he still sat on the porch, his eyes darting between Thor and Fandral. “Wait a minute, I never said I was going to help build.”

Sif spun on Loki, giving him an incredulous look. "If you didn't come to help then why are you here?" she spat venomously.

Loki was a bit taken back by the sudden outburst, but he wasn’t surprised, knowing Sif. He turned confused eyes to the woman, looking her up and down. “I-I…” He looked at Thor, clearing his throat, “I didn’t want to stay at the palace. And…Thor’s my…uh...my guardian.” He turned his eyes back to Sif. “It’s not like I had much choice. It’s either stay at the palace with sad memories or go where Thor goes.”

Sif only glared, still unsatisfied.

Thor moved over to Loki, laying a hand on his shoulder as he spoke to Sif, "He'll be no bother. I did not tell him he needed to help with the addition when I asked him if he wanted to come along."

Fandral added, "Honestly, Sif, it's for the best with his current state of fragility. We wouldn't want to accidentally hurt him with the work we plan to be doing." There was a hint of sarcasm to his words that Thor hadn't seemed to catch on to as he was nodding along in agreement wanting to keep Loki safe.

Sif did catch the sarcasm and gave Fandral a small smirk. "When you're right, you're right, Fandral. We wouldn't want Loki to get hurt. He'd probably be best to stay inside with the children and your wife, Volstagg, just to ensure his safety."

Volstagg hadn't picked up on the sarcasm either and shrugged. "I suppose so, but it should be okay for him as long as he stays clear of the structure."

Loki worriedly looked from Sif to Fandral. “No, that’s okay. I can just sit here and watch.”

Volstagg pointed to a rocking chair. "Make yourself at home, Loki."

Loki looked at each person in turn, then slowly got up and walked to the rocking chair, sitting down and pulling his bag into his lap. He suddenly felt awkward. The reception had gone pretty much like he’d imagined. Everyone had accepted him with mixed feelings, or so it seemed. He could tell that Fandral and Sif were up to something, so he kept an eye on both of them. Of the four, Sif was the one he wanted to avoid the most. Not that he was afraid of her, but because she was an easy person to rile him. He was afraid she might say something to which he would get mad at and do something regrettable. It had happened many times before while all of them were growing up.

Seeing Loki retreat, the five continued discussing the tasks at hand. After about twenty minutes of discussion, they finally broke apart to begin. The work with constructing the frame commenced and they broke into pairs of one pair holding pieces of wood along the base and the other pair securing the frame on either side.

Loki watched for the first several minutes, then he pulled one of his books out of his bag and started to read. But it was hard to concentrate, he soon discovered, for the loud ruckus the kids were making inside the house. He frowned, trying to block out the noise.

The door creaked open, and a child around the age of seven crept out of the house, coming up to stand in front of Loki. Loki’s book seemed to cover all but the tuft of ginger hair of the little boy standing in front of him. He questioned curiously, “Whatcha reading?”

Loki looked up, moving his book out of the way. He regarded the child a moment, then looked around as if trying to pinpoint where it had come from. His eyes rested on the boy again.

“Nothing you would be interested in,” he finally answered, turning his attention back to his book.

The boy, undeterred, climbed into the rocking chair, squeezing to sit next to Loki as he beamed an impossibly bright, gap-toothed smile. “I like stories!”

Loki leaned away from the child, finding his presence annoying. He stared at the boy, and then silently turned back to his book, hoping that if he ignored the child he would go away.

The boy did not, and in fact ignoring the boy only made him more persistent as he leaned closer, practically crawling into Loki’s lap, as he placed an elbow draped across Loki’s shoulder and bodily pushed against Loki to look down at the book. “I can read a little too, but not words that big. Momma has lots of books with pictures she reads to us. I could read one to you, but I’m not very good at it. Momma says I’ll get better the more I read, though, so that’s what I’m gonna do; lots of reading! Do you want to read what you are reading out loud?”

Loki winced at the rough touch, reaching to move the boy’s knee away from him when it came dangerously close to his crotch. He sighed, rolling his eyes. “You wouldn’t understand it. Don’t you have some other place to be?”

The boy shook his head. “Nope. What’s your name? My name is Elvin! If you read it to me, I might understand it,” the boy encouraged.

“Loki,” he replied simply. Loki managed to push the boy off him and lifted himself out of the rocking chair. He walked over to the other side of the porch and lay down on his stomach, his front propped up by his elbows, with his hands hanging off the edge.

The boy went back inside only to reappear minutes later with a book of his own as he plopped down next to Loki, mimicking the man’s stance except with his own book while he kicked his feet in the air. Of course, the boy couldn’t concentrate on his own book long enough before having felt the need to talk to Loki again. “So, Loki, you live in the palace, right? I saw you there once. You were on top of the big steps with the All-Father and the All-Mother and Thor! I was there with my mom and dad, and my brother Seth, and my sister, Sarina, and my brother…” The boy went on to name every member in his immediate family.

Loki sighed, looking over at the boy. “That’s nice.” He forced a smile.

The boy smiled, appreciating the attention. “Do you want to be my friend?”

“Sure,” Loki said to appease the child. He turned away, leaning his head on his arm.

“Great!” Elvin exclaimed happily.

The front door creaked open and two little girls, identical twins that were a head taller than Elvin, peeked outside, seeing their slightly older brother and deciding they too would come meet Loki. One wore a purple dress and was carrying a rag doll and a brush. The other little girl wore a yellow dress and had a basket with barrettes and other hair supplies. The two girls took one look at Loki’s long hair, smiled impishly at each other, and clamored over to Elvin and Loki, giggling all the way.

Elvin looked up, annoyed that they would invade on time spent with his new friend. “What do _you_ want?” He grumbled.

“We want to play too!” the yellow dressed girl stomped a foot.

The other little girl unapologetically climbed over her brother to stand in between Elvin and Loki. “Hi! I’m Beatrice! Can I brush your hair?”

Loki slowly looked up to eye the two girls warily. Even though he found these children highly annoying, a part of him was slowly opening up to welcome the attention. His eyes looked at the brush in the girl’s hand, his thoughts drifting back to how much he had enjoyed Jane and Darcy brushing his hair. He looked at the girl’s face again. A genuine smile appeared on his lips and he nodded.

Beatrice giggled as she straddled Loki’s back and tossed her doll on the ground in favor of brushing the real thing.

The yellow dressed little girl, seeing her sister was already brushing Loki’s hair, scurried across Elvin, stepping on his back to get over to Loki to stand next to the trickster. She dug her own brush out of the little basket she carried to clumsily run through Loki’s hair as expertly as a six-year-old could muster.

Meanwhile, Elvin complained, “Gertrude! I’m telling Mom you stepped on me!”

“Go tell her, you big whiny baby!” Gertrude growled back but otherwise ignored him.

Deciding he didn’t wish to live up to the insult his sister labeled him with, Elvin simply settled back on the ground, grumbling, “Stupid girls!”

Loki wasn't pleased with having the girl on his back. He rose up higher on his elbows with the intention to tell her to get off, but feeling the brush in his hair made him keep quiet. He didn’t want to risk angering her into quitting. Then the second girl joined in. He winced at her rough handling and the way she pulled his hair with the brush but decided not to say anything, sighing instead.

Both girls talked to each other as they brushed, and Gertrude now reached into her basket to pull out barrettes made of wood to clip into Loki’s hair while Beatrice moved to pulling all of Loki’s hair back behind his shoulders and brushing long sweeping pulls across his scalp to pull all the hair she could gather into a ponytail.

Elvin just quietly fumed, not very happy with his sisters butting in at all. Finally, he moved around to sit in front of Loki, trying to find a way to regain some of the attention his sisters had stolen as he began reading his book out loud to Loki.

Loki winced. He enjoyed the brushing, but it was certainly different from the way Jane and Darcy did it. He could do without Elvin reading out loud in front of him, however. He peered at the boy and groaned. He put his own book aside, knowing that it was hopeless to even continue. He lifted a hand to point at the girl on his back. "Whichever one you are, go easy back there."

Both girls giggled as they tried to oblige Loki by brushing and pulling at his hair more gently. The girls were also cruelly having a laugh at their poor brother Elvin’s expense as the boy tried so desperately hard to impress Loki with his reading by annunciating entirely too loudly.

Thor had walked over to check on Loki, but seeing the trickster dog piled by children stopped him in his tracks. He backed up, nudging Sif to follow him.

Sif did so, curious as to what Thor had wanted her to see.

As the two came upon view of the porch again, Thor pointed as he whispered, “You see? He’s doing much better these days.”

Sif raised a brow at the display, surprised as the scene was far from what she’d expected to see when she glanced Loki’s way. She fought the small smile that graced her lips. “Alright, Thor, I’ll try a little harder to be nicer to your brother. You win.” She sighed as she turned back to rejoin the others.

Thor smiled proudly, turning to follow behind her.

Finally having enough, Loki reached over and placed his hand over Elvin's mouth. "If you must read, do it lower," he said.

Elvin seemed taken back by the gesture, but he recovered quickly and began reading once more, and this time at a much lower volume.

Beatrice and Gertrude continued brushing and whatever else they were capable of doing to his hair with the miscellaneous hair accessories. Both girls now straddled his back, working to grab dominance for space, lending eventually to both girls becoming twisted in limbs and collapsing backward where one flopped down onto Loki's lower back and the other landed squarely on his sore posterior.

One girl on his back wasn't so bad, Loki admitted, but he had become fairly annoyed by both girls being on his back, especially when they commenced to move around roughly. He was about to tell them to get off when the one landing on his rear caused him to bite back his words. His eyes widened and he involuntarily jolted upward, causing one girl to roll off.

"Ouch!" he yelped a little louder than he intended. "Watch it! I'm sore back there! Get off, get off." He hissed, grabbing hold of the girl and gently rolling her off his bottom. He then reached to rub at the injured area.

The children regarded him curiously, then Gertrude, the one who had landed on his bottom, asked, "Did your butt get hurt?"

Her sister questioned, "Were you being bad and get a spanking?" It was perfect logic to a child why Loki's bottom was sore even if it wasn't readily a drawn conclusion for adults that he'd been spanked.

Loki turned a shocked face to Beatrice, his cheeks flushing. He had hoped to keep it a secret the whole time they were at Volstagg's, so the question being flung at him now completely derailed him, and it showed. He swallowed, glancing at Elvin. He felt like snapping out a lie, but the new ache reawakened in his butt warned him to tread carefully. He turned his eyes down, sighing.

"As a matter of fact, yes, I did get spanked," he replied softly. He lay back down, resting his head on his folded arms. "Don't go spreading that around," he added sulkily.

This fact didn’t seem odd to the children as the girls readily went back to playing with his hair again.

Elvin was a little more curious than his sisters, though, and prodded, “What did you do to get spanked? I hate getting spanked.” He made a rueful expression directed at Loki as he said this.

Loki looked at Elvin as his thoughts focused on Jane. He searched for words to use so the child would understand. “I lied and pretended to be sick when I wasn’t. I…tricked my friends and brother and acted selfishly.” His mouth twitched as he said this.

Elvin just nodded. “Yep; that sounds like something my mom would spank one of us for.”

The two girls giggled as they listened to Loki.

“Momma doesn’t like lies at all!” Beatrice remarked. “A lot of us have gotten spanked for not telling the truth,” she whispered as if it were a dire secret.

Loki turned a look to Beatrice. He was tempted to tell her he was known as the lie smith, but he decided to keep quiet. “I'll be sure to stay away from your mother," he mumbled, settling his head on his folded arms again.

“Lunchtime!” A voice from inside the house called out, and all three children instinctively turned towards the summons. The girls scurried off and into the house without another word.

Elvin considered Loki a moment before asking, “Are you gonna come eat lunch?”

“I suppose so,” Loki answered. He ran a hand through his hair, pulling out one of the girls’ barrettes and tossing it aside. “Although it’s up to my brother.”

Elvin nodded before darting to the end of the porch and bellowing, “Daddy! Can Loki come over to eat with me?”

The five paused, looking at each other before Volstagg rumbled merrily, “You hear that? Lunch is ready! Come! Helena has been working since dawn to make a nice feast for us all!”

The other four seemed more than ready to take a break, having been at the building of the frame for close to four hours. Everyone set their tools down and began to climb onto the porch.

Elvin hopped backward excitedly as he ran back to Loki. “Come on!” he shouted excitedly. “You can come sit next to me!”

Loki sighed, getting to his feet and grabbing up his book. He walked over and placed it back in his bag then turned to follow Thor into the house.

Elvin squeaked, running up to Loki and grabbing his hand. “Hey! Wait for me!”

Thor smiled at Loki, looking down at Elvin. “I see you’re getting along well, Loki.”

Loki allowed Elvin to take his hand as he rolled his eyes and gave Thor a glare. "Don't say a word," he whispered.

Thor couldn’t help a mirthful chuckle as he watched Elvin pulling Loki along urgently to a seat at a very long and spacious table filled with a number of covered pots and kettles. The table was set for the most part, and children of varying ages moved about in a loud cacophony of noise, yelling and talking joyously as everyone ran around the table setting various items on it as their guests walked in through the door.

Helena had one child on her hip and another tugging on her skirt, both whining something inarticulate as she bustled about the kitchen, bringing a tray of bread to the table and passing the baby in her arms to Volstagg. “Please do take a seat!” she announced cheerily. “Sasha, take to serving our guests!”

The eldest daughter, who was seating some of the younger siblings, gave her mother a nod as she began to take up one of the kettles of food and slopping it on her siblings’ plates and offering the kettle’s contents to their guests while Helena did the same, going in the opposite direction with the rolls.

“The framework is coming along swimmingly!” Volstagg boomed cheerily to his wife and children who seemed pleased with the news.

Sasha made it to Loki, who had been placed between Elvin and Beatrice, and Beatrice was currently kicking his shin. Sasha offered Loki collard greens. “Would you like some greens, sir?” she asked timidly.

Loki’s mind had a hard time taking in everything around him. He glanced around the room, noting that it felt cozy, but it was also too cramped for his liking. And the noise was deafening. He really didn’t understand why Volstagg insisted on having this many children. He had watched as Helena gave Volstagg the baby, grateful that he hadn’t been stuck with it.

“Sir?” Sasha moved a little closer to Loki, plopping a scoop on Beatrice’s plate, eliciting a groan and a pooched lip from the little girl.

Loki turned. “Yes?”

“Did…did you want some?” Sasha tilted the pot of collard greens to him.

“Come on, Loki, you’re holding up the food!” Fandral teased from a few seats down.

Loki wrinkled his nose. “No, thank you.” He then turned to Beatrice beside him. “Beatrice, is it? Could you please stop kicking me?” he whispered to her.

Sasha moved along, slapping a spoonful on Elvin’s plate, and the boy sighed. “How come you don’t have to eat this stuff?” he complained as he poked at the green lump with his fork.

Beatrice grinned impishly, but she did move her kicking leg so as to no longer be kicking Loki.

Thor had taken a seat beside Gertrude, who always sat beside her twin, so Loki and he were only two chairs away. Thor gave his brother another broad smile but did not remark further.

“Because I’m a prince,” Loki answered. “I can do what I want.”

Thor, hearing this, gave a slow, rumbled chuckle with a small shake of his head at Loki’s answer, obviously amused.

Elvin blinked. “Can I be a prince then? I don’t want to eat that stuff either!”

Loki actually smirked at the child’s response but didn’t say anything more.

Several more rounds were made with many helpings of different types of foods for everyone to choose from. Once all the food was served, Volstagg stood and raised a mug of beer as a toast. “To my very dearest of friends! I thank you verily for all the help you so generously heap upon this family; I only hope you walk away with a full belly and a warm heart from our hearth to you!”

Thor and Fandral cheered their approval, and Sif smiled, giving a raise of her cup in gratitude while Hogun gave a small curt nod of acknowledgment.

Loki slowly reached for his glass and raised it, giving a small smile and a nod. Family... He had been thrown into so many different ones in such a short time. He looked around the table again, taking in each face. He was glad that he didn't have that many siblings. He'd never get any attention in a family this huge. His eyes finally rested on Volstagg and his wife. Volstagg was the type that always took time out to spend with his family and seemed to be there for his children whenever they needed him, regardless of how many there were. Loki always knew Volstagg would be a family man for as long as they'd known each other. As he sat there now, eyeing the big man, Loki wondered why Odin wasn't the same way. He tried hard to understand why Odin didn't radiate the same warmness and fatherly love that Volstagg did. It didn't seem fair.

Volstagg went on to tell a grandiose story as the man was always wont to do, and his children listened to the man boast in obvious amusement as he told them a grand tale of he and his companions fighting a five-headed, fifty-foot tall beast. (Which in reality had been three-headed and about half the size, but Volstagg loved to exaggerate his stories, and everyone knew to expect a tall tale from the man.)

Elvin looked at Loki with wide-eyed wonder. “You fought a great big monster like that with my dad?”

Loki had still been looking at Volstagg when the child asked the question. He had almost forgotten that little adventure until now. He looked down at Elvin, a smile curling the edges of his lips. “Yes, I did,” he answered rather proudly.

“Were you scared?” Elvin asked, eyes wide as saucers as he absently munched on his roll.

“Pfft, of course not,” said Loki. “I was the one that cut off several of the heads.”

Elvin seemed more impressed by this as his grin grew impossibly wide. “Oh! We can go play with the training swords after lunch if you want! Would you? Can we?” The boy was bouncing in his seat eagerly.

“Maybe later,” Loki replied, hoping by then the child would forget. He really didn’t feel like doing any roughhousing.

The boy visibly deflated. “Okay…sure.”

Thor leaned forward to address Loki, “Things are moving along pretty well, so we should have the structure built within the week! We will work until the sun starts to wane, and then we will call it a day.”

Loki slowly gave a nod in return. He turned back to his plate, finishing up his meal as quickly as he possibly could. When he had taken his final bite, he finished his drink and got up from the table, making his way outside. He sighed with relief to be out of the noisy, tight confines of the cottage. His ears still rang with the many loud voices and the screaming the kids were doing. He walked down the porch steps and out into the yard. Spotting a tree not too far away, he eagerly walked over to it and lay down on the grass, in the shade, stretching out on his side. He was feeling tired. He yawned and snuggled his face into his arms, rolling over to lie on his stomach and closing his eyes.

The meal lasted for about two hours as everyone enjoyed the food and the company, and after Loki had been gone for about thirty minutes, Thor excused himself to go look for the trickster. Not seeing him on the porch or anywhere he would have thought to find him, Thor went to search for him. He was relieved to see him lying under a great oak not too far from the house. “Loki? Are you all right?” Thor asked as he walked towards the prone figure.

Thor’s voice woke Loki, much to his disliking. He groaned, opening his eyes and sleepily looking at Thor. “I was until you woke me,” he said irritably. “Whatever gave you the impression I’m not all right?”

“You left the table and didn’t return. I was concerned. I can let you sleep though if you wish. The meal was quite filling,” Thor stated with a small shrug.

“It was too noisy and cramped in there. I had to get out as soon as I could.”

Thor nodded with a knowing smile. “I was worried this might be a bit of an overload for you to come out here. You know, you don’t have to, right? You can work on your star charts and relax at the castle while I finish up here,” Thor said as he crouched closer to Loki.

“I know,” Loki muttered, giving a light shrug. “I don’t want to be there alone.”

“Father will be there, so you won’t be fully alone, Loki, and it might be good for the both of you if you at least tried to spend some one on one time with him,” Thor pointed out.

Loki said nothing as he turned his head away from Thor. Avoiding Odin was partly why he had wanted to come, but he decided not to say anything about that to Thor.

Thor tilted his head curiously. “Do you not agree?” he prodded.

Loki turned his head around to look up at Thor. He sighed. “I don’t really care to be alone with him. I still feel uncomfortable being in his presence. What if we get into an argument while you’re gone?”

Thor frowned. “Loki, there honestly isn’t anything I could do if you and Father do get in an argument. You’re going to have to face him eventually if you ever plan to put away your current differences.”

Loki turned away again. “I don’t really want to discuss this right now. Not here.”

Thor nodded his acquiescence. “Alright, but perhaps on the walk home. I’ll let you rest here for now. We will be here another few hours yet, so I’ll come fetch you when we are ready to go.”

"If you can find me under the kids..."

Thor laughed heartily. “Is that the reason you’re hiding under this tree?” he teased.

“Hiding? I’m pretty sure they’ll find me eventually, especially that one little boy...Elvin,” said Loki, settling back into a comfortable position. “Although I’ll admit that the hair brushing those two little girls gave me did feel pretty good, once they got over the pulling part. But they weren’t as good at it as Darcy and Jane.”

Thor smiled widely. “It’s good to see you getting along so well with Volstagg’s children. I can tell the little boy has taken quite the shine to you.”

“Yeah, well, they’re still annoying,” Loki murmured.

“You find almost everyone annoying, Loki.” Thor chuckled as he turned back to go towards the house.

Loki watched Thor leave, then closed his eyes again. He knew his nap was pretty much over with, but he still enjoyed lying there, eyes closed, and just enjoying the afternoon. He had a feeling his relaxation would come to an end at any moment, once the kids found him again. His body tensed at the thought alone. Although, he did admit that it would be kinda nice if some of them came and brushed his hair again, as long as they didn't cause a disturbance.

Helena had taken pity on Loki, though, and instructed the children to stay inside for a little while during the continued construction of the frame, and Loki had been allowed to doze in peace as Thor and his friends continued work.

When Loki woke again, he stretched and got to his feet and walked back to the porch. He glanced at the work Thor and the others had accomplished as he walked up the porch steps and over to the rocking chair. Not really caring, he sat down and pulled his book bag closer to him.

Thor and the others took a break about an hour after Loki had settled himself, and seeing Loki reading, Thor wiped the sweat from his brow and approached him with a glass of water. “Thirsty?”

Loki looked up from his book and reached out to take the glass. "Thank you," he said with a smile. He glanced over at the others before taking a drink. After he finished, he set the glass on the table beside him.

“You’re most welcome!” Thor replied cheerily as he moved a chair up beside Loki to take a seat.

Volstagg went inside to visit with his family while the other four relaxed on the porch, sipping their water and just enjoying the break.

Fandral smirked, commenting, “So, Loki, you came all the way out here to read? Or was that to play with Volstagg’s children?” He laughed mirthfully.

Sif piped in stiffly, “Well, he didn’t come to do any work, so who rightly cares, I say.”

Loki sneered. "Why don't you two go find a lake and jump in it?"

“Enough!” Thor boomed, “All of you need to stop this. Loki, you need not be so rude, Sif and Fandral, Loki does not need your teasing or accusations. He came here with no other purpose than to join me whilst we commence with the building of Volstagg’s addition. He does not deserve ridicule for not wishing to participate in its construction.”

Sif rolled her eyes, getting up. “Just as well. He’d likely just get in the way,” she spat as she turned on her heel and disappeared.

Fandral sat back, holding his hands up. “Hey, don’t look at me. I was just asking a simple question out of amusement. I meant no spite.”

Thor nodded, seeming to relax a bit from Fandral’s admission.

Loki reflexively jumped at Thor's outburst. Then, at hearing Sif's words, he quickly rose to his feet, glaring at the woman. Her words both hurt and angered him.

Sif never looked back to see Loki’s angry expression as she bounded down the stairs, but Thor did. “Do not worry about Sif, Loki, she holds grudges, you know, but she will come around,” Thor replied tiredly.

Loki's nostrils flared. "I would like to get even with her just once," he seethed. "If only Odin had made her mortal."

Thor had heard enough, and he showed his displeasure with a swift up arching swat planted squarely at the under curve of Loki’s bottom. “Sit down now! I’ll not hear any more words like that coming from your mouth,” Thor boomed.

Loki let out a startled yelp and sat down in his chair…hard. He locked eyes with Thor.

“I hope I’ve been clear enough on this matter, Loki.” Thor was watching him intently to make sure he understood that he was in no way brokering any resistance in this way. He’d seen how Loki’s vengeful side could become quite atrocious, and he wanted to prevent a war from breaking out between Sif and Loki if Loki got it in his head to get her back as he had with cutting off her hair. Sif never did fully forgive him for that alone.

Fandral was blinking, obviously still stunned by what he’d seen. And Hogun, as always, made no notion he’d more than seen the act, having not changed his expression one iota.

"Yes, sir," Loki said softly, lowering his gaze. He pushed his hands underneath him. "I'm sorry."

Thor gave a light nod. “It’s fine. I just don’t wish for the two of you to be at each other’s throats, understand? I know how stubborn both of you are.”

Fandral’s jaw practically dropped to see Loki respond in such a way. The old Loki would have spit fire if Thor had done that to him. Whatever Thor was doing, it was working, Fandral decided.

Loki swallowed as he continued looking down at his lap. He winced as he subtly rubbed at his bottom the best he could while sitting on his hands. Between the fresh swat Thor gave him and the rough landing in the chair, the ache that had already been there was reawakened again. Slowly, Loki turned a quick, timid look to Fandral then to Hogun, trying to avoid holding their gaze for long. His cheeks turned red.

Feeling slightly embarrassed for Loki, Fandral rose. “I suppose it’s about time to return to work.” As he said this, Fandral made a hasty retreat, and Hogun followed swiftly behind.

Thor sighed. “I’m sorry I had to do that to you. Let’s just finish out the day on a better note. I’ll tell Volstagg that we are going to head out now, and I’ll take you by the bazaar as promised. Does that sound good to you?”

Even though the swat had been highly unpleasant, a part of Loki was glad that Thor had been there to set him straight. He would have hated to have another incident like the time he’d cut Sif’s hair off, especially after he had been doing so good. Sometimes it was hard to keep himself under control. Sif had a special knack for getting under his skin. She’d been that way ever since they were kids. But he would never actually harm her. Even though she was annoying, he had come to think of her as part of the family, just like the Warriors Three.

“They would have found out eventually anyway,” Loki muttered. “They’re family, after all, right?” He looked at Thor. “Leaving sounds good to me, but…aren’t you going to help the others finish up today’s work?”

Thor smiled. “I will help finish the addition, but I think leaving a little early will be fine when we were only planning to work a couple more hours. Besides, it’ll give you a chance to look for something nice for Jane’s birthday.”

Loki smiled and gave a nod. He pushed himself to stand, grabbing his book bag and slinging it over his shoulder.

“I’ll be right back. I’m going to let the others know we’re going to be heading out.” Thor turned, heading into Volstagg’s house and reemerging a few minutes later to head down to the work area to let his other friends know they were leaving before returning to Loki. “Alright, let’s head out, shall we?”

Loki eagerly walked over and took his place next to Thor as they walked down the porch steps.

The front door creaked open and Elvin stepped out. “You…you’re leaving? You didn’t even say goodbye! Are we still friends?” Elvin asked, looking hurt as he moved to the edge of the steps.

Loki turned and looked behind him when he heard Elvin’s voice. He inwardly cringed as the child stepped toward him, but something in the child’s voice unexpectedly softened a part of him. "Of course, we're still friends." He heard himself saying. "And, yes, I'm leaving. I have to go home. And I also have to go pick out gifts for some friends of mine that live in Midgard."

Elvin seemed to brighten slightly although he still wore a frown. “Well, okay. I guess if you have to go home…” He had lowered his head while he spoke, but now he raised it to peer in Loki’s eyes. “Will you come back to play tomorrow?”

Loki’s shoulders slumped as he looked down at the boy. He turned a look to Thor then turned back to Elvin. He forced a weak smile. “Yeah, sure, I'll come back tomorrow."

Elvin’s whole face lit up as he hopped excitedly. “Great! Maybe I can take you to my tree fort! And…and we can swing on my rope swing! It’s so much fun! You’ll see!”

Thor laughed at the boy’s enthusiasm, ruffling his hair. “You sound like a very good friend to have, Elvin.” He looked over at Loki giving him a wide grin, obviously enjoying Elvin’s excitement.

Loki rolled his eyes at Thor. Then he turned to Elvin again. "I think I'm a bit too big for those activities, but we'll figure out something to do."

Thor pushed Loki’s shoulder. “Oh, come now, brother, humor the boy! Besides, wouldn’t you rather do that than hang around on the porch here all day? Surely it can’t be too dour an idea?”

Elvin looked hopeful after Thor’s words, but he added, “We could always go fishing by the stream if you wanna do that instead…I mean, whatever.”

Hanging around the porch all day sounded fine to Loki, providing that he could read without being interrupted. The more they stood there talking with Elvin, the more he was getting roped into something he really didn't want to do. Although fishing didn't sound half bad, especially since he and Thor used to do it all the time. It would still give him an opportunity to just sit and read. But...doing it with Elvin...it would mean sitting there, listening to the boy ramble. He wasn't sure how much he could take of that.

"Fishing sounds wonderful," Loki replied halfheartedly.

Elvin let out a squeal of joy, jumping off the porch and bounding over to Loki to wrap him in a tight hug. He pulled his face away, staring up at Loki but still holding his arms around Loki tightly as he spoke exuberantly, “Terrific! I can’t wait! I’m gonna go find lots of worms and grubs, so when you come back we can fish all day!”

Despite having been hugged many times before, Loki still stiffened at feeling Elvin's arms wrap around his legs. Being hugged by Jane and even Thor was one thing, but being hugged by this small boy was an entirely new sensation. He finally relaxed a bit, lifting a hand to ruffle the boy's hair. "You go do that," he said with a smile. Loki was suddenly glad Elvin hadn't been present at the time Thor swatted him.

Elvin nodded gleefully, letting out a laugh as he finally released Loki and ran off behind the house, obviously planning to start working on catching bait right away.

Thor put a hand on Loki’s shoulder, letting out a soft chuckle. “The boy really likes you; I gather you’ll get to see what it’s like to be a big brother too.” He patted his back once more for emphasis before moving to head down the long road leading back to the city.

Loki quickly followed after Thor, coming up to keep pace beside him. “You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?”

Thor gave him a sidelong glance that held an obvious smirk. "Enjoying what, dear brother?" Thor asked brazenly.

“You know what." Loki frowned. "That boy taking a liking to me, and what you just said about me getting to see what being a big brother is like.”

Thor laughed mightily. "It was not my intention, but I think the boy is good for you. When, other than now, would you have the option to be a big brother than this? He does not judge you on what you have done only what you will do from today and moving forward."

Loki remained silent as he studied Thor a few minutes before turning his eyes forward.

Thor cocked his head to look at Loki. "I can verily see the wheels turning! What are you thinking, brother?"

“Nothing,” Loki answered, kicking a small pebble out of the path.

“Nothing? That’s highly unlike you, Loki.” Thor nudged him playfully.

"I was just thinking about what you said. About the boy not judging me by what I've done," Loki said with a shrug.

Thor reflected on Loki’s words. “Aye, I know that returning to Asgard has been a heavy burden for you in that regard, and to have someone that looks at you for who you are now over the actions you made then is something I think you need in your life to see that you can move on.”

Loki nodded. “But…he can be so annoying.”

Thor chuckled. “Little brothers can be,” he teased.

Loki scrunched up his nose and stuck his tongue out at Thor’s comment.

Thor pulled Loki into him for a hug. “But then, after you get over the annoying bit, you realize how much you care about them.” Thor released Loki, giving him a wide smile as they continued down the path. The bazaar could be seen in the distance, and Thor asked, “So what vendor did you have in mind to go to, Loki?”

Loki smiled at Thor hugging him and the words he spoke. He gave a shrug. “I don’t know. I just figured I would look around until I found the right gifts. What do you think Darcy and Jane would like?”

Thor tilted his head in obvious thought, going quiet for a few minutes. “Well, anything pertaining to the stars would fascinate Jane as well as finely made silken things. She seems to enjoy fancy threading. As for Darcy, she loves our heritage, so perhaps something that rings the truth of our ancestry?” Thor suggested.

Loki nodded. "I will look and see what the vendors have to offer."

Thor nodded. “Alright, you go ahead, I’m going to go sit at the center fountain and wait for you to finish up. Just come on by to fetch me when you’re done.”

“Um…could you come with me?” Loki asked. “In case the vendors refuse to sell to me. Technically, I'm still a prisoner, remember? At least as far as Asgard is concerned."

Thor smiled, holding out a hand for Loki to lead the way. “Of course, Loki; I can come along.”

Loki walked ahead of Thor, leading them into the marketplace. He didn’t like using the word ‘prisoner’ to describe his current situation, but there was no getting around the truth. The whole of Asgard knew he had been tried by the All-Father and thrown in prison after being brought back from his first trip to Midgard. Only a few people knew of him being recently assigned to Thor’s guardianship by Odin. Because of this, he didn’t like the thought of wandering around the marketplace alone, lest people start asking questions or refuse to sell something to him, or worse…ridicule him in the streets. True that he was still a prince, but he didn’t know how much leeway he had if the townspeople knew he was also a prisoner. He felt safer with Thor by his side. And Thor could also act as a backup in case any of the vendors gave him looks.

The trickster milled about the marketplace somewhat awkwardly at first. He felt like all eyes were watching him. He also wasn’t used to shopping for gifts. Even with Thor’s advice on what the women would like, he was stumped as to what to get for them. It took him a few minutes before he fell into the comfort of looking over items. The market was full of dozens of vendors that sold a large variety of items from pottery to jewelry and everything else in between.

After an hour of looking through each vendor stall, Loki finally chose a silky forest green shawl with intricate Norse knotting embroidered around the edges in gold threads. He wasn’t sure if Jane would like it or not, but he figured he’d get it for her anyway. He chose a similar one in royal blue for Darcy. Instead of Norse knotting, it had a long row of valknut symbols embroidered in silver threads. He also got each woman a necklace crafted from the finest Asgardian gold by the dwarves of Nidavellir, each one adorned with pendants in the shapes of runes and Norse knotting with emeralds and sapphires embedded in them. He also chose a necklace having a valknut pendant with a ruby in the center for Sandra. He knew very little about the nurse and wasn’t sure what she would like. Couldn’t go wrong with jewelry, he thought. All women love sparkly things, right? Loki picked up several other trinkets, including some books. He just happened to find one on stars, so he picked it for Jane. It wasn’t as good as the star chart book he was putting together, but it still might prove interesting to her. He found a couple of books on Asgardian history and culture, which he got for Darcy. Most of them were written in Scandinavian, but he got them for her anyway. He saw a fairytale book and got it for Elvin.

Thor seemed to agree with all of the gifts that Loki had picked for the girls and seemed especially proud that he’d even picked a book for Elvin. “You know, it might be wise to pick up some more bait on the way back to Volstagg’s place just in case your new friend didn’t fare as well as he might have hoped.”

Loki nodded in agreement. “Good idea.”

Thor smiled. “Are you done shopping then? Or did you want to keep looking around for a bit? We are going to want to get back to the palace to bathe and meet Father for dinner in a couple hours.”

Loki pointed over at one of the stalls they were passing and walked over to grab up a couple of carved wooden dragons. “After I get these, I should be done.” He smiled.

“Alright.” Thor gave a soft chuckle, having to wonder who the wooden dragons were meant for.

When the dragons had been purchased, Loki walked over to Thor. “I’m done.”

Thor and Loki headed back to the palace, Thor offering to help Loki carry his newly purchased items to make the trip a little less cumbersome as they walked.

Loki gladly gave Thor some of his parcels. "I will never get used to being mortal," he griped. "Especially the part of getting tired so easily and quickly. I feel like a weakling."

Thor nodded in understanding. "I remember it well, but I think you are well on your way to earning back your ability to return to godhood."

Loki looked at Thor, a small smirk lifting the corner of his mouth. He felt like he already knew the answer to his next question, but he carefully asked it anyway.

“When I get it back, does that mean you won’t spank me anymore?”

Thor raised an eyebrow. "What would that matter? If you do something that calls for a spanking then you will be spanked."

Loki lowered his gaze, shrugging. “Just thought I’d ask.” He looked at Thor again, a small pout on his lips.

"Just don't do anything that would earn you a spanking, and you'll not have to worry regardless," Thor admonished.

Loki remained silent, not bothering to comment on that. Both of them walked in silence for a few minutes before Loki spoke again, his voice soft.

“Um…Thor,” He hesitated, “c-can I…uh…”

They were reaching the palace steps, and Thor paused in his ascent. "What is it?"

“Can I sleep in your bed again tonight?” he asked, keeping his voice low. "After I get done with my charts."

Thor beamed. "Anytime you wish, Loki."

Loki smiled at Thor’s answer as they made their way up the palace steps.


	35. A Talk with Odin

The brothers walked together to the bedrooms. After parting ways, Loki went into his room and closed the door. Immediately he walked over to his bed, depositing the gifts he’d bought, and then walked to his storage to pull out a knapsack similar to the one he had taken to Midgard, only slightly bigger. He neatly and carefully placed all of the gifts, except for the book he got for Elvin, into the sack, closed it up, and set it off to the side. He then reached for the book bag he had taken with him that afternoon, opened it, and slipped Elvin’s book inside, closing it up, and setting it on the floor by the door. After finishing this task, he stood in the middle of the room and looked around him, noticing that his newly repaired mirror was back in its place, and the glass cleaned up. The clothes he’d taken to Midgard were now clean and neatly folded, lying at the foot of his bed. He also noticed that the maids had put clean sheets on his bed and made it up in the time he’d been away. Smiling, Loki made his way to his wardrobe, pulling out a fresh change of clothes. He grabbed up his hairbrush and exited the room.

When he entered the bath house, Thor was already in the tub as before. Loki laid his clean clothes across the nearest chair and set to work undressing. When he had stripped down, he absently turned to the floor length mirror beside him to examine his bottom. It still looked faintly pink, but otherwise, it was healing. He gave his right cheek a quick rub, reached and grabbed a towel and walked over to the tub and slid down into the opposite end.

Thor watched Loki climb into the tub with half lidded eyes as he let out a satisfied groan. "I was thinking we might visit the massage parlor after dinner with Father to loosen up a bit. What do you say?"

Loki perked as he let himself slide under the water, up to his neck. “You know I’m for anything having to do with massages,” he said with a smile. “Although, I wish Darcy or Jane were doing it. You know, when we go back to Midgard you should let Darcy give you one. She knows what she’s doing.”

Thor chuckled. “Does she now? If she is up for it, perhaps. I thought it might be an activity you’d enjoy. That’s why I suggested it.”

Loki smiled and leaned back against the tub. "I can't wait to get back to them. And now I can't wait to see Jane and Darcy's faces when I give them their gifts."

“I look forward to seeing them as well,” Thor stated with a contented smile playing across his face. “Perhaps we can broach the subject of them coming to visit Asgard at dinner. Do you think it to be too soon?”

Loki was about to close his eyes, but he opened them again at hearing what Thor had said. He contemplated the question a moment. “I don’t know,” he admitted. “We could try. The worst he could do is get mad and say no." He frowned. "On second thought, the worst he could do is tan both of our hides," he said in afterthought.

“Why would he be that upset to ask such a question? We are not defying his wishes, but perhaps it is too soon if you think it would anger him,” Thor contemplated the matter heavily now.

Loki smirked. “I wasn’t saying that he would get that upset over asking a question. I was merely saying that saying no is not the worst thing he can do.” He playfully splashed Thor with water. "We can ask him. I would like to know his answer."

Thor laughed, clasping his hands in a manner to squirt quick streams of water through his palms at Loki. “I would like to know as well; who knows, he may already wish to invite them himself?”

“I hope so.” Loki laughed when the water hit his face. He grinned, moving his legs under the water to grab a hold of Thor’s leg, trying to pull him under. But the attempt failed when he was suddenly reminded that Thor was still immortal and he wasn’t. He never realized just how heavy Thor was.

Thor merely chuckled at Loki. “Nice try, trickster. Was this what you were going for?” Thor flipped the move back on Loki, easily sending him plunging into the waters.

Loki let out a cry as he went under, flailing and sputtering as he tried to keep his head up. He reached out and grabbed hold of the tub’s sides and pulled himself up. He spat out soapy water and wiped at his eyes. "Show off!"

Thor laughed. “What? I thought I was only demonstrating your own failed attempt?” he teased.

“And reminding me that I’m mortal.” Loki pouted before playfully sticking his tongue out.

Thor grinned cheekily. “And here I thought you had wanted me to remind you!” He laughed, moving to remove himself from the bath and wrap a towel around himself. “We should get ready. Father will be waiting for us.”

Loki rinsed the soap off him and got out of the tub to stand beside Thor. Grinning, he playfully threw a handful of soap suds in Thor’s face. “Now we’re even!” He laughed, bending over to pick up his own towel.

Thor, deftly quick, removed his towel, twisted it, and snapped Loki’s retreating rear with it. “Now we’re even.” He laughed. “Or did you forget that you started this little skirmish?”

Loki yelped and quickly straightened up, dropping his towel in order to grab his rear. He turned a pained, scrunched face to Thor as he vigorously rubbed the sting out of his butt. “Ooowwww…” he hissed.

“Oh, I didn’t hit you that hard, Loki.” Thor laughed, wrapping his towel back around himself and lumbering up next to him.

Loki said nothing as he reached down to pick up his towel again. He turned a frown to Thor, which slowly curled into a devilish smirk. He began twisting his own towel.

Thor saw this out of his peripheral, commenting wryly, “Remember, Loki, we’re even now, or do you want me to feel the need to retaliate in kind?”

“Who says I was going to do anything?” Loki untwisted his towel and focused on drying himself off, occasionally glancing at Thor.

Thor only smiled at Loki as he too moved to dress. “I’m sure you are the picture of innocence, brother.” He gave him a wink.

“My posterior is finally becoming pale again. I’d like to keep it that way,” Loki said simply.

Thor’s smile widened as he walked up to Loki, ruffling his hair. “You and I both! Now then, if you’re through primping, let us go dine with Father.”

“I’d like to put my clothes on first if you don’t mind,” Loki said with an amused smirk. He walked over to where his clothes were and began to dress. “I don’t want the servants seeing my pink rear and asking questions.”

“Suit yourself,” Thor joked, finishing sliding his last boot on and standing cross-armed to wait for Loki.

Loki playfully tossed his towel over Thor's head as he continued dressing.

“Pfft!” Thor haphazardly flung the towel across the room, pushing back the hair that had flung back into his face with the towel’s departure. “Are you quite through?” He laughed.

Loki, grabbing his hairbrush and running it through his hair, looked over at Thor, grinning. When he was finished, he sat down in the chair and pulled his boots on. It took him a few more minutes to completely finish. Finally, he gathered up his dirty clothes and brush and walked over to stand in front of Thor, raising his eyebrows. “I’m through now, except for putting these in my room.”

Thor nodded, and the two made their way to Loki’s quarters so he could deposit the items. “I’ll wait here,” Thor said at the doorway, giving Loki a chance to unburden himself while he waited.

Loki stepped inside to put away his dirty clothes and hairbrush then came back out in a matter of a few minutes, nodding to Thor that he was ready. As they made their way to Odin’s chambers, Loki started to get nervous again at the thought of being around the All-Father, even more so this time since they were going to ask whether or not Jane would be allowed to visit Asgard. When they approached, the servants opened the chamber doors for them and they walked inside.

Odin was not seated at the table yet, looking over the vastness of Asgard from the balcony. When he heard footsteps enter his private chambers, he turned regally to face them, affording them a proud smile. “Good eve, my sons. It is good to see you. Do come; have a seat and we shall dine and converse of your day.”

Loki silently walked over to the table and took a seat.

Odin looked to both sons, giving a quaint nod. “So, tell me about your day?”

Thor began first, “Well, Father, we started work on Volstagg’s addition today, and we were able to solidify most of the base framework. It was a most productive endeavor.”

Nodding, Odin smiled. “Excellent!” His eyes drifted to Loki, his smile projecting a warm invitation for conversation.

“Um…” Loki moved uneasily in his chair, “I just…kept some of Volstagg’s kids entertained.”

Odin raised a brow, taking a sip of his mead. “Oh? You’ve never been much for the regard of children. I find it interesting that you did now. What did you do with them?”

Loki swallowed, his cheeks turning slightly red. "Well, actually, I didn't mean to entertain them. I wanted to read. They just sort of...interrupted me. Two of the little girls...uh...sat on my back and brushed my hair..." His voice trailed off as he turned a look to Thor.

Thor was smiling, biting into a roll and urging him to continue.

Odin was unmoving, although he did seem interested in what Loki had to say. “I can’t recall I’ve ever seen you playing with children, but the thought is pleasing.”

"It seems that one of Volstagg's little boys has taken a liking to me and calls me his friend. We are...going to go fishing tomorrow."

Odin cracked a wide smile to hear this, nodding. “Good, Loki. That sounds like a day well spent.”

Thor smiled proudly. “You should see how much this boy adores him, Father. Loki even bought him a book today as I think Loki has also taken quite the shine to his admirer.”

“Is that so?” Odin beamed in obvious approval.

Loki rolled his eyes and gave Thor a frown.

Odin laughed heartily. “It does me good to hear such things. Does it make you happy, Loki?” He turned to Loki as he took a bite of a turkey leg.

Loki shrugged. "I don't know," he answered, moving some of the food around on his plate with his fork. "Kids are still annoying and loud."

Odin chuckled lightly. “Aye, they are. But the exuberance they have for life is unmatched.” 

"I guess," Loki said with a sigh. "I'll be happy when I can go back to Midgard and be with Jane."

Odin regarded Loki a long moment and grunted, turning back to his food to take another bite.

Thor used this opportunity to question Odin while his mouth was full, “What would be your opinion on Jane and her friend Darcy visiting Asgard?”

Odin stopped chewing, his brow drawing down. He swallowed, and a long silence reigned. “What about it? You wish these mortal women to come to Asgard?”

Thor nodded seriously. “Would you allow it?”

Odin’s face looked grave, and he remained silent for several more minutes before asking simply, “Why?”

Thor’s eyebrows furrowed. “Why?”

“Yes, why? Have you no answer?” Odin asked, dropping the turkey leg unceremoniously to his plate as he wiped vigorously at a cloth napkin, staring first from Thor and then to Loki. “Can you answer why I should bring them to Asgard?” His eyes weighed heavily now on Loki.

Loki's brow drew up in worry, his eyes shifting from Odin to Thor and back again. He was taken back by how fast that ball had been thrown into his lap. He lowered his gaze, his finger nervously tracing the rim of his plate.

"I..." He swallowed, "We just thought it would be nice if they could come and visit. I mean, we went to Midgard to visit them. Jane and Darcy are very interested in Asgard and the culture here. And Jane is Thor's girlfriend. I-I've come to think of both of them as..." Loki kept is gaze lowered, "as my family."

Odin blinked, drawing back slightly. “Family?” He took a sharp intake of breath. “I’ll consider it. I can’t say these women haven’t seemed to have a positive effect on you, so perhaps they are worthy to grace the halls of Asgard for a time.”

Loki looked up at Odin, blinking.

Odin shook his head, giving a soft chuckle. “Pick up your jaw, son. What, did you think me so unwilling as to not even consider the proposition you and Thor are both so adamant about?”

Loki shrugged. “I know how uptight you are about certain things. I just thought…well…the idea of bringing mortals here would upset you—that you would say they don’t belong here.”

Odin’s brow drew down at the description of ‘uptight,’ but he didn’t comment on it. “They don’t belong here, but that doesn’t mean that some may not visit on occasion. If they are worthy, I will ruminate on the decision. I will give you a definitive answer by the time you finish your work with Thor’s ally in arms. Until then, let us eat, shall we?”

Loki gave a nod and then focused on eating while he pondered over Odin.

Thor engaged Odin with more about Sif and the others, and Odin spoke mostly on the trivial matters of the courts. Otherwise, dinner was carried out in silence.

Loki finished his meal and sat back in his chair, wiping his mouth with his napkin before tossing it on the table beside his plate. He had sat, eating in silence as he listened to Thor and Odin’s conversation. His thoughts often drifted to the massage he would enjoy after dinner and also the work he still had to do on the star charts.

Odin rose with a sigh. “It has been good to see you both, but as you know, I have many matters to attend to. I’m going to have to leave you to it.”

Thor rose, nodding. “Of course, Father. I wish you a good night.”

Loki rose, nodding, too. "Good night."

Odin gave them both one more nod before departing.

Thor watched him go before looking to Loki. “Are you ready to go, or are you still eating?”

“I finished eating a few minutes ago. I’m ready to leave,” Loki replied.

“I take it you’re ready to go to the massage hut then?” Thor quirked an eyebrow knowingly as a wide smile breeched his face.

Loki gave him a smile and a wink. “I’ve thought about it all through dinner.”

Thor laughed. “Why does this not surprise me! Come on, let’s go.”

After leaving Odin’s chambers, Loki eagerly followed Thor down the winding halls to the palace’s massage parlor. “I haven’t been here in a long time. I almost forgot we even had it,” said Loki as they walked up to the doors.

Thor nodded, pleased to see that the women that lounged here were not too busy. Odin gave the women a place in the palace for their services and mostly tended to the guards and the other servants.

As they entered, four women that had been lying comfortably on a massive sofa rose to meet them. Of course tending to the princes had the women quite eager to please as they took them back to a special room in the back meant for the royal family.

Loki grinned at the women as he was escorted. “I think I’m going to thoroughly enjoy this,” he said, more than eager for the attention and pampering that was soon to come.

The women tittered, pointing to the two beds. “Please undress and climb under the sheets.”

Thor was quick to oblige, tossing his clothes on the makeshift dais and climbing under the sheet. “This is much needed,” Thor groaned as he settled onto the bed.

Loki swallowed, his face growing a bit pale. Undress? He’d forgotten about that part too. One of his hands absently slid behind him as thoughts of his still pinkish rear went through his mind. He looked at each woman in turn like they were out of their minds to suggest such a thing. If the women saw his rear in this state and put two and two together there was no telling how fast it would spread through the palace’s gossip chain. Finally, Loki cleared his throat and walked over to the bed meant for him, removing his tunic and tossing it on the floor as he went. He took off his boots, dropping them beside it. With his pants still on, he climbed into the bed and slid under the sheet, removing his pants under the cover and pulling them out to toss next to his tunic and boots, all the while treating the unusual actions as if it was the perfectly normal thing to do. Once he was undressed, he moved onto his stomach and got comfortable, grinning and winking at the woman nearest him.

The women seemed surprised by the action but none spoke on it as they moved in tandem, one woman on each side, pulling the sheets down their backs. They drew fingers into herb bowls set beside them and dabbed small dots of herbal paste across their skin before slowly kneading the concoction into their backs. Thor moaned in ecstasy, “This feels wonderful!”

Loki's body relaxed as he felt the women begin working on his back. He closed his eyes, smiling. "Yes, it does," he breathed out.

The women worked silently, moving along the men’s muscles, going along every inch carefully and methodically. Within thirty minutes, Thor was snoring loudly.

Loki stretched out, smiling blissfully. He heard Thor's snoring and felt himself beginning to doze. He turned his head to the side, determined to stay awake to enjoy every moment. He cracked his eyes open and stared forward.

“You can sleep, my prince,” one of the women offered. “We will still massage you while you’re resting.”

A little nap wouldn't hurt, he thought. It would give him the strength to work on the charts. Loki's smile grew wider as his eyes closed and he drifted off into sleep.

The women continued to massage until Loki fell asleep. By the time Loki woke to a particularly loud snore from Thor, all the women were gone, and the sheets covering them were changed out for new sheets.

Loki dazedly looked around him until he realized it was Thor's snoring that had awakened him. He yawned, noticing the women were no longer present. Then he noticed the new sheets. His eyes widened briefly as he raised his head to look behind him then nervously around the room, trying to locate the women. His brow scrunched up in worry.

The next room over was still busy with guards getting massages, but their clothes were neatly folded and set on the dais the herb bowls had been.

Loki groaned as he lay back down. He pulled his hair around to cover his face. New sheets... He was sure the women had seen his rear. Maybe if he acted casual and didn't say anything, the subject wouldn't come up. He brushed his hair back, sighing. Since he was now awake, he felt he could do with more massaging. He reached over and hit the small bell beside the bed, hoping it would get the attention of one of the women.

He could hear the soft pad of feet come into the room as one of the women who had massaged him earlier approached. “My lord?”

“I would like more massaging,” Loki answered lazily. “My feet and legs.” Since he had walked a good deal that day, he felt like his feet and legs could use pampering too.

The woman nodded obediently. "Yes, your grace." Without further ado she moved to the wall to grab her salves, setting them between Loki's spread out legs. Smoothly, she folded the sheet neatly to the side, tucking it to modestly show only the length of the thigh, calf, and foot. Without saying a word, the woman began to dapple small dots across his leg, followed by firm, hard grabbing expertly at the muscles.

Loki watched her work for a few minutes, and then lay his head down on his folded arms, soaking up the massage. He lifted his head again, looking between the woman and the salve she was rubbing into him.

“Uh…do you happen to have an herbal mixture that can soothe soreness and help with healing?” Loki asked timidly.

The woman blushed, motioning to his rear end. "For..." She trailed off.

Loki swallowed, glancing at his rear and trying to act as dumb and confused as he could. Although he knew he was probably failing miserably. His face felt hot, alerting him that it was probably as red as a beet. “Um…no, why would you assume…?”

The woman flushed further, looking down, obviously uncomfortable with making her prince embarrassed. "I will fetch you some healing salve, your liege."

Loki quickly turned around and laid his head on his arms again, relaxing to the feel of the woman’s hands working the muscles in his leg and foot. He rolled his eyes and let out a heavy sigh. “I guess it’s no secret anymore,” he softly said.

The woman worked the one leg over then covered it again with the sheet, moving to his other side to repeat the same ministrations. Sometime while she was working on Loki's second leg Thor woke with a start, bleary-eyed as he picked his head up, blinking. "Wha?"

Loki turned his head over to look at Thor, raising an eyebrow and giving him a puzzled, amused look.

Thor's eyes focused on Loki, giving him a wide smile. "Good massage, eh?" He gave Loki a thumbs up.

“Good? It’s wonderful.” Loki sighed, smiling. “I could stay here all day.”

Thor chuckled. "Aye, Loki, I know you would! This is why I suggested coming here!"

“Thor, do you think Odin will decide to allow Jane and Darcy to come to Asgard?” Loki queried.

Thor took in a deep intake of breath. "With Father, one can never know, but I have an inkling that yes, he will."

Loki smiled. “So that means we need to be planning for their arrival.” He rolled his shoulders, still enjoying the massage. “We definitely need to bring them here for a massage.”

“How do you know they’ll want a massage? But, yes, if Father agrees, perhaps that can be the surprise gift that we give to her, eh?” Thor beamed at the idea.

Loki gave a shrug. “Who wouldn’t want a massage? I just thought it would be a nice touch to their get-a-way. You know, like those fancy spas or resorts or whatever they’re called that mortals have on Midgard, where they go to pamper themselves, much like we're doing now.” He smiled. “Bringing them here would be a nice surprise gift—if he says yes."

Thor nodded, sitting up and hopping off the table as he began dressing. “I think it would be a grand gift,” Thor assured. “Are you ready to head out?”

Loki groaned. He wanted to stay there forever. But he knew he needed to get started on the charts. He sighed long and hard. “I guess.” He turned to the woman. “You were going to fetch me that salve,” he said, trying to keep his voice low.

She gave him a small nod and a titter as she went to fetch Loki the requested item. The woman returned a few minutes later with a coconut shaped bowl where the top was fitted to clasp over it to keep the contents from drying out. She placed it next to his clothes, bowed, and retreated back to the main room.

"What's in the container?" Thor asked curiously.

When the woman left, Loki sat up and moved off the bed, keeping the sheet wrapped around him lest someone walk in and see his rear. He walked over beside Thor and grabbed up his clothes. He let the sheet fall to the floor, around his feet, only after he had pulled on his pants. “Just some herbal salve,” he finally answered, casually. He put on his boots and tunic. “I don’t know about you, but I’m coming here again tomorrow night,” he said, hoping to change the subject. He figured he would need a massage after lying around all afternoon, fishing, especially if Elvin ended up talking his ears off.

Thor looked amused, but he didn’t question further. "You plan to wear these women out then, do you?" He laughed.

Loki gave Thor a lazy smile. “Maybe.” When he was finished dressing, he picked up the salve container and tucked it in the crook of his arm and waited for Thor to finish putting his clothes on.

Thor finished up quickly, tossing the sheet back on the bed and turning to face Loki. "I gather you are off to work on your charts then?"

“Yes,” Loki answered. “I’m going to finish up the Asgard star charts tonight. Then I’ll start on one of the other realms tomorrow night. The charts for the other realms won’t take as long since a lot of my star charts for them are either unfinished or nonexistent.”

"Sounds tiring," Thor groaned. "But I know that you and Jane do love your work. I will wish you well then, Loki, and I will see you later tonight. I'm weary, so I think I will head to bed myself."

Loki smiled. “I will retire once I have finished.” With that, he followed Thor to the bed chambers, disappearing into his bedroom once they reached their destination. Loki waved his hand across a panel on the wall next to the door, a dim light coming on overhead. He walked over to his bed, grabbed up his faithful silky pajamas, and placed them on the bed in front of him, along with the salve container. He quickly undressed. Picking up the container of salve, he opened it and dipped his fingers into it, scooping out some. He set the container down and moved his hands behind him to rub the concoction into his butt cheeks. A slight twinge of pain surfaced at the action, but it quickly subsided the longer he massaged. He sighed blissfully, feeling the salve starting to work already. When he finished, he dressed himself in his pajamas. He picked up the salve container and walked into his private bathroom where he washed his hands and brushed his teeth. When he came out again, he walked to the desk to start work copying the rest of the Asgard charts.

Loki was about finished for the night when Odin, seeing Loki’s bedroom door stood ajar, casually made his way into the room. Loki seemed quite engrossed with the work as Odin silently emerged behind him to look over his shoulder, giving a satisfactory nod. "It's coming along nicely, Loki. You know this skill of yours could come in handy charting out some of the uncharted territories to the West."

Startled, Loki jumped and quickly turned around. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath when he saw it was the All-Father. "Th-thank you," he said, a bit taken back by Odin's praise.

"Perhaps, if you are interested, you can take a quest later to help complete some of these maps," Odin offered.

Loki studied Odin a few seconds, then nodded. "I would like that." He gave his pajama pants a tug and slowly went back to work on the charts, puzzling over Odin's sudden appearance in his room.

"I will not disturb you further; carry on, Loki," Odin stated, turning to leave.

"No," said Loki. "Y-you don't have to go yet."

Odin stopped, turning back with a raised brow. “You wish me to stay?

Loki shrugged. “You can stay a little while longer if you want. I’m almost done with these.” He gestured at the charts then looked to Odin. “Was there something you wanted?”

Odin shrugged lightly. “Nothing in particular. I was just coming to see how things were going for you is all.”

Loki nodded. Odin had come into his room to see him but try as he might he couldn’t think of anything to say. The longer he stood there the more awkward he felt. He cleared his throat. “Everything’s going fine. I’m going to head to bed after I get these done.”

Odin nodded. “You’ve had a long day. I’m sure you’re tired. It’s good to see you back in Asgard like this. It broke my heart to have had to put you in chains.”

Loki searched Odin’s face, not knowing what to say. Finally, he turned his gaze down, shifting from one foot to the other.

Odin laid a hand on his shoulder. “It’s getting better. Change is well on its way with you—with us—I can already see.”

Loki just nodded.

Odin saw his tenseness and sighed. “You know, the walls we build make sturdy blockades. I’d like to take a sledgehammer to them and knock them down, but I’ve found that often only creates a mess. Sometimes the gentle push of the stream will dissolve the matter between the stones and let the rock melt smoothly back into the river to which they came. The stream holds the best results, but it also takes the longest amount of time to produce results.”

Loki looked up at Odin, giving another nod that he understood.

“I can tell you well with things you wish to say to me, but you seem reticent to express them. We have not been close, and this is partly my fault, but I cannot begin to understand your needs if you choose to withhold speaking to me altogether,” Odin stated. 

“I’m...afraid to speak,” Loki finally said. “When I’ve tried speaking to you in the past, it only seemed to anger you. I-I don’t know how to word things where I don’t get rebuke in return. Even during the times when I spoke truth, it still angered you. I thought...if I stayed silent then...maybe we could finally get along."

Odin regarded Loki sadly. “Silence is not getting along; silence is just another means of avoidance. I am sorry I made you feel that way. I can’t say I have not been quick to temper, as a king, I have on occasion let the weight of responsibility fray my ability to lend a gentler ear to you, my son. I am making an attempt to rectify this from this point on, but I cannot change the past.”

Loki nodded. “I cannot change the past either. I-I want us to grow closer. I want to know what it’s like to feel a…” He hesitated, “To feel a father’s love.”

“Come, stand, Loki,” Odin beckoned.

Loki regarded Odin with curious eyes before obeying, walking the short distance to stand before the All-Father, hands tucked behind his back.

Odin took a step forward, pulling Loki into a hug. “This will be a start,” Odin said as he embraced Loki to his chest tightly.

Loki stiffened as he was pulled into Odin’s arms. At first, he wasn’t sure how to react. It was hard for his mind to wrap itself around the fact that the All-Father was hugging him…after all of these years. A part of him still wanted to hate the man for everything he’d done to him. But something deep inside him reached out and welcomed this show of affection that, for the most part, seemed alien to the trickster when it came to Odin. Tears filled his eyes and he slowly moved his arms up to put around Odin, returning the hug. He rested his head against Odin and closed his eyes.

Odin held him for a long moment, patting the back of his head lovingly. “We will forge a new future tonight, aye?”

Loki nodded. “Yes,” he whispered, “…Father.”

Odin squeezed him a little tighter, whispering back, “Never forget I love you, my son.”

Loki’s mouth worked silently at hearing the words, a few more tears brimming his eyes and falling down his cheeks. He buried his face in Odin's shoulder.

Odin inhaled deeply, laying a soft kiss on the top of his son’s head. “We are going to get through this. You will see.” He did not pull away, letting Loki decide when he was ready, sensing he needed the closeness.

Loki remained in the hold a few more minutes before slowly pulling away, wiping his eyes on his sleeves. “I…need to finish the charts and go to bed. Thor will probably want to leave out early tomorrow morning.”

Odin nodded lightly. “Very well. I will take my leave. Sleep well, son.” Odin patted his shoulder and finally turned to leave out the door, shutting it softly behind him.

Loki stood in the middle of the room several minutes after Odin left, gathering his thoughts. He wiped at his eyes again before turning to walk toward his desk. It didn’t take him long to finish up the charts. When done, he put everything away for the night, turned out the light, and left the room, heading down the hallway to Thor’s room. He pushed the door open and walked in, shutting it behind him. The room was dark, so he had to feel his way to the bed. Thor’s snoring helped to guide him. When he touched the blankets, he felt up the side of the bed to the pillow. He pulled the covers back and crawled in, snuggling up beside his brother. He was glad Thor let him sleep in his bed again. He had been hesitant to ask, thinking that Thor would say no. After all, he hadn’t had another nightmare yet. But after the one he had the night before, he just couldn’t bring himself to sleep alone in his room.

Loki sighed heavily, staring upward through the darkness at the ceiling. He soon discovered that, even though he was tired, he was also wide awake. Thor’s loud snoring right beside his left ear didn’t help. He frowned and turned over to face the opposite direction. It didn’t help. He lay there for five minutes, fiddling with his pillow, eventually dislodging a small feather from it. He smirked, rolling over to face Thor again. He lightly ran the feather over his brother’s nose.

Thor’s nose twitched, and he absently batted at the feather unwittingly as he groaned a string of unintelligible words before another wave of snoring came on.

Loki grinned, quite thrilled with the reaction even though it was too dark to actually see Thor's face. Again, he reached out and ran the feather over Thor's nose and along his face.

Thor's snoring spiked and he jolted awake, realizing where the disturbance to his sleep was coming from. He pounced on Loki, tickling his sides. "Wake me will you, trickster! That is going to cost you!"

Loki let out an unexpected squeal as he began to laugh, his grin growing wider. He reflexively curled up, drawing his knees up to try and block the attack.

“Oh no, you don’t!” Thor proclaimed as he wrestled him down, continuing to tickle Loki’s sides.

Loki laughed harder as he rolled around, kicking and trying to evade Thor's tickling hands. He twisted his arms around and reached out to begin tickling Thor in return, moving his hand up to tickle the thunder god under his arm.

Thor saw him moving to do so and easily maneuvered Loki’s arms to pin them to the mattress above his head. Seeing Loki’s stomach exposed as his night shirt drew up, Thor took advantage of the opportunity and blew a raspberry on his stomach.

Loki howled with laughter and furiously kicked at the bed. "That's not fair!" he breathed out in between laughter and huge intakes of air. He twisted around onto his side to put his belly out of Thor's reach.

Thor laughed, using one hand to hold Loki's hands and the other to tickle his side back into an awaiting raspberry.

Loki continued to laugh until tears ran down his cheeks. He squirmed and twisted and pulled his knee up to try and hit Thor. He could feel his pajama bottoms pulling down and twisting around with all of his wiggling.

“Seriously, Thor, it isn’t fair holding my hands pinned where I can’t tickle back!”

Thor laughed. "This coming from the one who started it!" He blew another raspberry on Loki's stomach for good measure.

Loki could no longer breathe as he struggled to laugh at the constant attack on his belly. Despite his hands being pinned, he managed to twist his body around to lie on his stomach, trying to hide it.

“You were snoring!” he gasped out. “I couldn’t sleep.” That was half the truth, he thought. He had also wanted some attention.

Thor laughed, finally letting Loki go as he pulled him into a hug, giving Loki a kiss on the top of his head.

Loki still giggled as he fought to catch his breath, his chest heaving. He felt disheveled. His hair clung to his face. His pajamas were all twisted around him. His pajama bottoms had completely come down in the back. But he didn't care. He hadn't been tickled like that since he and Thor were kids. He wrapped his arms around Thor's neck to return the hug, nuzzling his face into Thor's neck. Then he slowly moved his hands down to poke at and tickle Thor's armpits.

Thor chuckled lightly, letting him go as he rumbled, "Would you really have me start again, Loki?" He said this with a kind smile as he pinched Loki’s nose playfully.

"I honestly don't care," he said smugly, reaching out to tickle around Thor's ribs.

Thor grinned devilishly. "Well, you should!" Lightning quick, Thor reached out to tickle Loki's hip where he knew he was most ticklish.

Grinning and laughing, Loki pushed Thor's hand away, rolling over on his stomach and putting his head under the pillow. He reached behind him to try and pull up his pants.

Thor laughed, rolling onto his back as he sighed, staring up at the ceiling and seeming lost in thought for a moment before stating, “This is nice. It’s been too long.”

When Loki pulled his pants back into their proper place and untwisted his shirt, he took his head out from under the pillow and smoothed back his hair. Still grinning, he moved closer to Thor, pulling the covers up around him.

Thor was smiling, glancing over to watch Loki adjust himself before pulling his own covers back into place, letting out a contented sigh and closing his eyes to let sleep reclaim him.

Loki snuggled close to Thor, but he still wasn’t ready to go to sleep just yet. Playfully, he walked his fingers across Thor’s chest, up to his chin, then lifted his hand and lightly thumped Thor's nose.

Thor snatched Loki's hand as he flicked his nose. "Hey! Cut that out." He laughed.

Loki giggled. He tried pulling his hand away, but Thor continued to hold it. “Are you going to let me go?”

Thor turned a mischievous smile on him. "I gather that depends on you, brother. Are you going to let me go back to sleep?"

“What if I don’t?” he said amusingly.

"Then maybe I'll just have to lay on top of you to make sure you can't keep me awake." As Thor said this, he rolled over on Loki, flopping on Loki's chest and pinning his arms to the bed.

Loki gasped and scrambled. “THOR! Off! Please, get off! I’m mortal! You win!”

Thor laughed heartily as he rolled off Loki, looking quite pleased with himself as he settled back on the bed with his arms behind his head.

Loki lightly shoved Thor in return. He pulled the cover up to his chin and stuck a thumb in his mouth, settling back into his pillow. He was tired, but at the same time, he still wanted to play. But he remained quite. He had thoroughly enjoyed the tickling. Between the massage, his talk with Odin, and the tickling, he was left feeling lighthearted.

It didn’t take long before Thor was snoring once more in obvious contentment.

Loki frowned at the snoring, but he blocked it out the best he could. He felt his eyes growing heavy and before he knew it he fell into a deep, happy sleep.


	36. Fishing with Elvin

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **~ THIS FANFIC IS ON HIATUS!! ~**
> 
> I’m uploading a new chapter for this, but I’m letting everyone know that it’s still on hiatus until my friend and I can get around to writing up some new chapters for it. So don’t expect any more updates for awhile after this one.
> 
> This was the very last chapter spankingfemme and I wrote around this time last year. I held back uploading it all this time because I felt that we stopped in the middle of it and left it hanging. I planned to add more to it whenever I finally got back into writing this fic with my new writing partner. BUT…that hasn’t happened yet. I’m not sure when we’ll get back into working on this story, to be honest. This year has become insanely busy on my end.
> 
> After some consideration, I finally decided to go ahead and upload this chapter before I end up forgetting about it. It’s long enough as it is, so I just chopped off a few of the last paragraphs (which will be the start of the next chapter whenever we get around to continuing it) and am uploading it just to make it feel a little more complete to me. It’s been bugging me since last year that I have an incomplete chapter gathering dust.

Morning came, and Thor rose with a stretch, seeing Loki passed out, thumb in his mouth. Thor chuckled, picking up his pillow and bopping Loki on the head playfully. “Time to get up, Loki!”

Loki’s head jerked, his eyes opening. He was momentarily dazed as he looked around him, trying to understand what had happened. Finally, his eyes rested on Thor.

Seeing Loki glaring at him, he laughed and swatted him once more with the pillow, leaving it behind as he hopped out of the bed. “Good to see you’re up, sleepy head! Come, we must get going; the day draws on!”

Loki took his thumb out of his mouth, a devious smile curling his lips. He quickly reached for his own pillow and swung it around, playfully hitting Thor in the rear.

Thor’s back shot up rigid from the suddenness of the attack before he wielded around, bouncing onto the bed in one swooping bound, grabbing Loki and tickling his sides.

Loki immediately began laughing as he hit Thor several more times with his pillow. He pulled his legs up to his chest and rolled over.

Thor laughed, finally releasing Loki when he curled into himself, amused by the antics. He rolled off the bed, looking behind him with a wide grin. “Now then, I’ve worked up an appetite, what about you?”

Loki sat up in bed, smoothing back his hair as he watched Thor quickly get dressed. “I do feel hungry," he finally replied.

“Well then, I suggest you get out of bed and come eat with me.” Thor chuckled lightly, looking back a moment with a smile and heading towards the grand hall.

Loki smiled and hopped out of bed. He didn’t bother going to his room to change his clothes, instead, wearing his pajamas. He tugged his pants up and followed after Thor, walking up to keep pace beside him.

Thor chuckled, watching Loki running up beside him and having to pull up his pajama bottoms. “I’ll tell you what, why don’t you head to your quarters to change, and I’ll bring us something back. Sound good?”

Loki smiled and nodded. “We could eat on my balcony if you want.”

Thor nodded. “That sounds excellent! I’ll fetch one of the servants’ carts and be up in a few minutes.”

After parting, Loki walked to his room and quickly changed out of his pajamas and into the tunic, trousers, and boots he would be wearing that day. He noted that his rear felt better. Before pulling his pants all the way up, he turned and looked at it in the mirror. It looked less pink, although he wasn't sure if it was due to the passage of time or the salve or both. Either way, he was glad to feel somewhat normal in that area again. He pulled his pants up and turned around to adjust the rest of his clothing.

It took Thor about thirty minutes to gather a cart, the food and beverages, and utensils, plates, and cups. He wheeled back an array of foods more than enough for the both of them. Thor gave a small knock on the door. “Breakfast is served!” Thor announced cheerfully.

Loki opened the door to let him in.

Thor wheeled the cart in and over to Loki’s balcony. He anchored the cart so the two of them could get at it easily enough from Loki’s little table, and he pulled up the plates to set them in each spot as well as cups and silverware. “There we go; all set!” Thor smiled approvingly.

Loki glanced over the setting, giving a nod and smiling. "Looks good," he said, seating himself.

“Come! Sit!” Thor cheerfully stated as he took a helping of the food from the cart and plopped it on his plate.

Loki picked up a pastry and began to nibble at it.

Thor kicked back, stuffing his face readily as he looked out at the morning sky, admiring the view. “This is much better than the dining hall to be sure, brother.”

"My thoughts exactly." Loki smiled, taking a larger bite of his pastry. He glanced over at Thor, clearing his throat. "Thank you.”

Thor beamed. “You are most welcome! Perhaps we should have the servants bring us breakfast in the mornings here for the next couple days? I think a little change like this is most welcome to the noisy dining hall.”

"I would like that." Loki's smile widened. "But that's not what I was thanking you for." He looked down at the table, picking up another pastry. "My thanks was for...a wonderful night last night," he said softly. "Suggesting the massage and then the roughhousing at bedtime…just...thank you for being there for me."

Thor nodded. “It was fun! We should have more good times like that. It isn’t too hard. Mostly, I was happy to spend time with you, Loki. I often wonder at what point did we drift so far apart.”

Loki smiled and chuckled, putting a hand on his stomach. "I haven't been tickled like that since we were kids."

"You should have seen how red your face got!" Thor laughed heartily.

Loki blushed and squirmed in his chair as he tried to suppress a grin. "I will admit that it felt good to laugh that hard."

“It was good to see you laugh that hard. Much better than the doom and gloom you’d carried around for weeks.” Thor grinned, grabbing a pastry himself and wolfing it down.

“Since when was the last time I carried gloom and doom around?” Loki questioned. “I was happy at Jane’s…well…for part of the time we stayed there, anyway.”

"I was referring to that long stint before going to Jane's." Thor chuckled. "Things for all of us have been much smoother since that trip."

Loki slid lower in his seat. He didn’t really care to be reminded of the past. He nodded. “I’m glad you took me there now. An…” He swallowed hard at what he was about to say, “And I’m glad that you…you…spanked me when I attempted to run away that night.” He shifted his feet.

Thor seemed a bit surprised by that admission. "I'm not glad I spanked you, but I am glad it convinced you well enough to stay and try and work things out."

“That’s what I meant,” said Loki in a low voice. “Naturally, I’m not glad that you spanked me. I didn’t like it. That spatula really hurts." Loki winced at remembering. "What I meant was...I’m just…glad that you knocked a little bit of sense into me that night. I…really don’t know what would have happened to me had I actually run off to another realm."

“I would have tracked you down and brought you back home with me,” Thor assured with a smile. “You got away from me once; I’ll never let you fall again.”

Loki lifted his eyebrows. “I’m pretty sure you would have. And I’m sure you and Father both would have let my rear end know your displeasure. If I even had a rear end left after you got through with me.”

Thor nodded. “Aye, you most certainly would not have sat comfortably for a great while if you had. Thankfully that was not entirely the case, and you were able to get by with only one spanking. I have a feeling Father is a much more severe spanker than I.”

Loki’s face flushed red. He nodded, not saying anything.

“It’s been a very long while since I’ve felt the sting of Father’s palm, but I still remember it well enough!” Thor jested.

Loki looked over at Thor. He couldn’t help a slight smirk.

Thor caught Loki’s smirk and blushed. “Aye, I remember full well. Now then, are you finished with your breakfast?” Thor asked, grabbing another pastry.

“I’m surprised he didn’t tan you before sending you to Midgard as a mortal,” Loki said, quite amused. He picked up a few pieces of fruit to eat.

Thor chuckled. “Honestly, I don’t think he thought about it until I’d done so to you. If he had, I’m rightfully sure he would have, believe me!”

Loki smiled, putting a few grapes in his mouth and chewing.

Thor finished his pastry, kicking his feet up on the chair beside him and watching Loki with a smirk. “You are one of the slowest eaters I know, you realize?”

“At least I won’t get an upset stomach,” Loki said. He chewed and swallowed the last of his fruit, wiped his hands on his napkin, and stood up. “Okay, I’m through. And let us not forget to get bait on the way to Volstagg’s, like you suggested.”

Thor nodded. “I’d forgotten; it’s a good thing you hadn’t!” Thor hopped to his feet, taking one last quick swig of his ice water. “Alright, let’s head out.”

Both headed out on their long trek to Volstagg’s, stopping to get fishing bait when their journey took them through the marketplace. Loki kept pace beside Thor as they continued on their journey. He was actually looking forward to fishing, but he wasn’t really looking forward to hearing Elvin’s chatter. He wasn't really looking forward to seeing Sif and the Warriors Three again, either.

 

Elvin had been sitting with his feet dangling off the porch when the two came ambling up their property’s road. Elvin was quick to hop off the porch, coming to run full tilt upon seeing the two approaching; he whooped a sound of joy as he did so in his obvious excitement.

Thor laughed. “It looks like your little friend has been waiting on you, Loki.”

Loki gave Thor an exasperated look, rolling his eyes.

“Hey! I’ve been waiting on the porch for you guys since breakfast! That was a while ago. I was starting to wonder if you guys were coming, but Daddy said you were going to be here ‘cause Thor never forgoes a promise. So, that meant that you, too, would be here ‘cause you would be with Thor.” The boy spoke so fast, he almost didn’t make it through his sentence before having to take a heaving breath.

Thor merely laughed as he shot Loki a wide smile.

“Of course I would be with Thor. I did tell you yesterday that I would come back,” said Loki.

Elvin nodded. “I know you did, but the sun has been up for a while, and I was just getting bored,” the boy admitted.

Loki could relate to that. He smiled. “Well, it’s a long walk from the palace, but we’re here now.”

Elvin brightened, standing taller. “I’m sure glad you are! I was so excited, I could barely sleep! Come on! I’ve got our poles on the porch ready for us to go! I was able to find twelve worms, but we can probably dig some more up when we get to the lake,” Elvin assured, grabbing Loki’s hand to hurry him towards the porch.

Loki sighed, walking along with Elvin. “That won’t be necessary. I brought some bait of my own that we can use.”

“Yeah? Great!” Elvin’s smile grew impossibly wide. “That will give us more time to hang out together then!”

He should have kept his mouth shut, Loki thought. He sighed again, reaching for one of the fishing poles. He glanced around him for Sif and the Warriors Three, thinking it odd that they hadn't come to greet them yet. Just as well, he thought. The less he saw of Sif, the better.

Thor caught up to them by the time Elvin was pointing out the poles and the bait he’d found. He, of course, felt the need to dig each poor worm out of the dirt to show Loki. “And look, look! This one is super long! We should catch a really big fish with that one!” Elvin bounced about excitedly.

Thor looked down as the boy went on his litany of descriptions, giving Loki’s shoulder a gentle pat. “Do have fun, dear brother.” He smiled knowingly as he moved off towards the back of the building, where the others were already working.

Loki watched Thor leave, then looked down at the worms in Elvin’s hands again, momentarily envisioning dumping the whole bunch over Sif’s head. He smirked. “They look like fine bait, Elvin. Lead the way to this lake of yours.”

Nodding enthusiastically, Elvin shoved the worms back into the dirt. “Alright! Follow me!” He quickly grabbed the bait and his pole, skipping merrily around the house. He would look back occasionally to make sure Loki was still following as he talked about all of his favorite hiding places, all the incidents where he and his brothers and sisters had done various dangerous things like climbing tall trees, crawling into badger holes, and catching snakes. Elvin wore these tales like a badge as he proudly told Loki all about his exploits. Of course, he was speaking so fast that he wasn’t giving Loki a chance to interject his own thoughts until they finally made it to the lake. “We’re here!” Elvin practically bounced.

Loki shuddered as he stood and looked at the large body of water. Memories of the camping trip, his stay in the hospital, and of being sick came back to him like a wave, and he suddenly felt ill. “Ugh. I’m pretty sick of seeing lakes, to be honest.”

Elvin stopped in his tracks, looking worried. “What’s the matter?”

Loki looked down at Elvin. “I just don’t like lakes much,” he said simply. “The last one I swam in didn’t agree with me.”

Elvin looked puzzled. “Didn’t agree with you?” The boy was a bit too young to get the meaning behind the statement.

Loki chewed at his lip. “Er…I got sick. It was on Midgard. Long story.” He walked past Elvin and down to the lakeside. 

“What’s Midgard like? Was it fun?” Elvin asked as he tagged along beside Loki, staring up at him in wonder.

“Yes and no,” Loki answered. “Midgard is very different in a lot of ways. Some parts of it are fun, other parts aren’t. I did learn that their healing room is awful. Elvin, if you ever get a chance to go to Midgard, be sure to not get sick.”

Elvin nodded as if Loki had just given him the most sage advice. “I will do my best not to! Do…do you think you could take me there?” Elvin was beaming from ear to ear at the prospect.

Loki looked down at Elvin, giving a disapproving frown. “No, of course not. Your parents wouldn’t allow it, and Thor would..." He stopped himself, clearing his throat. "Never mind."

Elvin looked crushed as his whole body seemed to sag. “Aw! They never let me do anything!” He sighed dramatically. After a moment, though, he seemed to move on as children are wont to do. “Well, maybe you can take me to the palace?”

Loki laughed amusingly. “Elvin, that’s something you would have to ask your parents about. I would love to take you to the palace, but I can’t do it without your parents’ permission. If I up and took you there, Thor would…spank my butt." He said the last few words in a low voice.

Elvin digested this and nodded. “When we get back, I’ll ask! That would be great to visit the inside of the palace! I mean, I’ve been to the palace before, but I’ve never actually been in it! Oh, this is going to be so fun! I can’t wait!” Elvin’s voice was squeaking as if he could barely contain his excitement.

Loki winced. He secretly hoped that Volstagg would say no. "I...will also have to ask permission of the All-Father."

Elvin nodded. "Okay, that sounds good,” he said simply as if asking the All-Father was as simple as asking his parents. 

They came to the lakeside now, and Elvin sat down and began digging into his bucket of bait to prepare his hook.

Loki rubbed his rear to check for soreness, then lowered himself to sit on the softest part of the ground he could find. He let his book bag slide off his shoulder and set it beside him. He turned and watched Elvin.

Elvin finished baiting his hook and tossed the line into the water. Once finished, he looked over at Loki. "Did you want me to bait your hook, too?"

"I can manage just fine," said Loki, a bit miffed. He reached in and pulled the canister of bait from his book bag and proceeded to bait his hook. When done, he tossed in his line.

Elvin watched Loki as he did so, his expression perplexed by the tone Loki had responded with. "Did...did I make you mad?"  
Loki glanced at the boy. "Uh...no." He sighed. "Sorry."

"I just wanted to help; I didn’t mean to upset you." Elvin tilted his head curiously. "You do know how to bait a hook really well."

"You...didn't upset me," said Loki. He smiled. "Yeah, well, I used to go fishing a lot with my brother."

Elvin smiled happily. "So, we're like brothers now!"

Loki opened his mouth but stopped. He didn't want to upset the child. "I thought we were friends. You can't be my brother. I don't know you that well."

Elvin frowned. "No...I guess not. But, you and Thor are friends, aren't you?"

Loki smiled. "Yes, we're friends, but he's also my brother."

"I try to be friends with my brothers and sisters, but they are all so annoying!" Elvin stated unhappily.

Loki gave a snort. "Thor can be annoying, too."

Elvin giggled. “Yeah, I think that’s just how it is, at least that’s what Daddy says. He says I got to try to get along with them ‘cause were family and stuff.”

Loki blinked as he thought about what Elvin had said. Jane had said something similar once. His thoughts drifted to her. Looking out at the lake now, he thought back on their camping trip. He missed her so much. It had only been a few days since they returned to Asgard, but already it felt like it had been weeks since he last saw her. He wondered what she and Darcy were doing.

Elvin seemed content to watch Loki looking out at the lake for a few minutes until the quiet disagreed with him. “I’m glad you came out here with me. None of the other adults even seem to notice me.”

“I know how that feels,” Loki said softly.

"We don’t need them to have fun, do we?" Elvin stated with an affirmative nod.

Loki chewed on that a few minutes, then gave a nod. “No, we don’t,” he replied with a smile. Then his smile faltered. “Although, I’ll admit that I have been having fun with my brother lately as well as with the new friends I made on Midgard.”

Elvin smiled happily. "Will you tell me about them?"

“Uh…well… Their names are Jane and Darcy,” Loki started, awkwardly. “Jane is Thor’s girlfriend. She’s nice and caring and reminds me a lot of my…of my mother. She accepted me as I am and treats me like I’m somebody.” He picked a piece of grass to roll between his fingers. “And Darcy…she’s…different. She’s mischievous and cunning and daring—reminds me a lot of myself. She talks a lot and likes to tease me.” He wrinkled his nose then smiled. “But she’s fun to play pranks on. I came to think of her as the annoying big sister.”

"I've got three annoying big sisters and two little ones! All sisters are annoying! Your friends sound pretty neat, though. Do you want to go to my tree fort soon?" Elvin asked anxiously.

Loki rolled his eyes. “But we haven’t caught any fish yet.”

Elvin sighed. “I know…it can just take so long to catch a fish sometimes. I get bored waiting.” He slumped as a further testament of the fact he hated to stay still for any amount of time.

“Um…Elvin…I do have a gift for you,” said Loki, putting his fishing pole between his feet and pulling his book bag closer to him.

“Really? For me?” Elvin got up, bouncing excitedly.

Loki reached into his bag and pulled out the fairytale book he had bought and handed it to Elvin. “You said you liked to read, right?”

“I do!” He clapped his hands, shaking with obvious joy.

“I saw this at the marketplace and thought you’d like it.”

Elvin’s eyes were transfixed on the book. “I’m sure I will! It looks pretty cool! Will you help me read it?”

“Uh…”

Elvin giggled. “I can read pretty well, but some words I have a hard time with. Maybe I can read them to you while we fish?”

“I guess…” said Loki. He had to hold back a grimace, remembering how Elvin had read to him the day before.

Elvin was quick to grab the book from Loki’s hand and sidle up close to him, practically laying in his lap as he flipped open the book and got ready to read to Loki. “Let’s see…the…giant…and…and…the my…may…maidon…maiden!” Elvin continued to do his best to read to Loki, now quite earnest in his attempts.

Loki leaned away from Elvin, but it was no use. Then he cringed again when Elvin started to read. The boy struggled to get out words for at least fifteen minutes until Loki had enough. He was also highly uncomfortable.

“Elvin,” Loki said, grabbing hold of the child and gently pushing him off his lap. “Elvin, get up. I need to change positions. My rear is hurting.” His ears were hurting too, but he didn’t want to hurt the boy’s feelings.

“Oh, okay.” Elvin rose, and as he did so, Loki’s pole shot forward having snagged something that was attempting to take his pole with it. “You got one! You got one!” Elvin squealed at seeing Loki’s line bounce.

Loki practically jumped up, quickly grabbing the pole before it got far and pulling on it. He yanked out a medium sized fish that was frantically flopping. Loki grinned from ear to ear at seeing the catch.

Elvin whooped a cry of joy, digging a line of rope out of one of his deep pockets. “I got some rope to put through his gills if you want to keep him. We can tie it to that rock over there and see if we can catch any more!”

Loki took the rope and strung it through the fish and tied it to the rock. When the task was done, Loki walked up to Elvin again.

Elvin was digging out another worm as Loki was walking up. “If we catch enough, we can take them over to my tree fort! I have a fire spit Daddy built over there, but I’m not allowed to use it without an adult or my older brothers.”

“Don’t you want to eat lunch with your family like we did yesterday?” Loki questioned. He didn’t like the thought of eating in Volstagg’s cramped house with a ton of screaming children again, but he wasn’t sure if Thor and the others would approve of him and Elvin being away for so long, especially if they didn’t come back to the house to eat. A shudder coursed through him. What if Thor thought he ran away again, and took Elvin with him?

Elvin kicked at the ground and shrugged noncommittally. “I guess. We could always bring the fish to Momma to cook up with lunch…saying we can catch enough in the next couple hours. One’s not gonna feed many of us.”

Loki smiled. “We can eat at your fort if you want, but…I just…didn’t want your parents to worry when we didn’t show up for lunch. I…don’t want you to get in trouble.” He cleared his throat and added, “I don’t want to get in trouble, either.”

Elvin smiled up at Loki now. “It’s okay, if you want, we can go back to the house right quick and ask?”

Loki nodded. As much as he found Elvin’s chatter annoying, he’d much rather eat outside, away from the other screaming children.

Elvin pulled his pole from the water, noting there was no more bait attached. “Well no wonder I wasn’t catching a fish!” He groused before setting it beside the rock they’d decided to set up at. He grabbed his new book. “I don’t wanna leave this here. I’ll put it up safe, so it can’t get messed up or nothing.” Elvin cradled the book fondly as they moved back towards the cottage.

Loki smirked and followed after Elvin.

Just as it was on the way up, Elvin managed to talk incessantly throughout their journey.

Loki took in a deep breath, inflating his cheeks before exhaling. He gave his head a slight shake. When they got closer to the cottage, his eyes turned to Thor and the others still working on the new addition. As he and Elvin approached, Loki caught sight of Sif turning to look their way. He gave her the most innocent smile he could muster.

To Loki’s surprise, Sif actually smiled back at him, giving an approving nod. “Did you and the boy catch anything? Thor told me that you took him fishing.”

Elvin, of course, interjected, “We caught one fish, miss, uh, Loki caught one fish, but we came back to see if we could stay and catch more, and then we could take them to the tree fort, and we could cook them, and…”

“Wow, there, Elvin!” Volstagg laughed. “Remember what I told ya; breath between thoughts, my son.”

Elvin looked down, ashamed. “Uh, yes sir.”

Volstagg trundled up next to Elvin and ruffled his hair lovingly.

While Elvin was busy talking, Loki couldn't help glancing at Sif again. He hadn't expected her to smile and nod at him. It was then that he wondered if Fandral and Hogun told her what they had witnessed the day before. Since she had spanked him once before when he was younger, it wasn't like it would be anything new to her. Still, his cheeks visibly flushed at the thought of her knowing Thor had swatted his backside.

Thor moved up to Loki, giving him a pat on the back. “You’re doing pretty well to have already caught a fish so soon. I remember whenever we went fishing last, I’d caught five and you one! Perhaps your luck is getting better!”

Elvin looked up to his father. “So, can we please, please eat at the tree fort?”

“Uh…go ask your mum,” Volstagg informed, not willing to be the one to make that call and have Helena staring daggers at him for the entirety of their lunch if the boy’s absence were to be missed.

Elvin sighed. “Okay,” he stated exaggeratedly as he sagged visibly, walking towards the steps. “Come on, Loki, we gotta ask Momma.”

Loki smirked at Thor then turned to Elvin. "You go ahead. I'll wait here."

Elvin moped even more as he hopped up on the porch and disappeared inside the house.

Loki stood there, putting his hands behind his back and looking at everyone in turn.

Volstagg turned a smile on Loki. “My children seem to be taking a liking to ya, trickster! I know my boy, Elvin…uh, he can be a bit much to handle, but he really has taken a shine to you. I appreciate ya giving him a bit of your time.”

“Thor told us you got him a book even.” Sif smiled warmly. “I saw the boy carrying it with affection. I’m surprised that you are showing to care for others besides yourself. It’s good to see in you.”

Loki smiled at Volstagg. He then cleared his throat and shrugged, glancing at Sif. "Yeah, well, I've had a...little persuasion from Thor and Jane."

Sif nodded. “I heard that Thor’s love interest was able to help talk some sense into you.”

Fandral smirked, knowing there was much more than talking that happened on Midgard.

"Yes, she's good about that." Loki looked from Sif to Fandral, noting Fandral's smirk.

At that moment the front door burst open. “Loki! Loki! She said yes!” A gleeful Elvin came bounding around the bend, practically bouncing out of his shoes. “She’s even fixing us a basket of food if we don’t catch more than the one fish, so we have plenty to eat!”

"That's wonderful," Loki said as he smiled down at Elvin. He then turned his gaze back to Sif and then to Fandral, wondering how much they knew about his trip to Midgard.

Elvin grabbed Loki’s hand. “Come on! Momma says you’re gonna have to carry it!” Elvin was pulling Loki, trying to lead him away.

Thor gave him a wink. “Impatient little man, isn’t he?”

"Was I ever this bad?" Loki groaned.

Thor laughed more heartily. "Are you afraid that you might be getting a taste of your own medicine?"

Loki rolled his eyes and walked toward the cottage and up the porch steps, opening the door and stepping inside. He cringed at the noise all of the other kids were making and maneuvered his way through the obstacle course of toys, books, and overturned furniture to get to the kitchen, where Helena was leaning over a table, kneading bread dough.

“Uh…you have a basket for us?” he said as he approached her. Aside from the short instance the day before, it had been a long time since he'd seen Volstagg's wife face to face, much less spoken to her.

Helena turned a warm smile onto Loki. “Aye, I do! Sasha is preparing it now.” She nodded in the direction of her eldest daughter that was stuffing a basket with a number of items, like some preserved fruits in a jar, bread, cheeses, and a flagon of apple cider.

Loki nodded, turning to Sasha. He smiled.

The girl busily prepared his basket, finally setting a thin woven blanket over the top of it. Her eyes flicked up to him shyly. “Here you go, sir,” she stated demurely as she quickly handed off the basket to him and backed away quickly.

This, of course, was all Elvin needed to see as he tugged on Loki once more. “Alright, great! Come on, we can go now!” He stated in much lower tones. “Let’s hurry before Beatrice and Gertrude come back! Momma says if they want to come along they can!”

That’s all Loki needed to hear to get him moving. He took the basket and quickly made his way to the door, walking out onto the porch.

Elvin scurried out with him and pointed to the field as he whispered, “Look! They’re over there! We gotta hurry up and get around the house before they see us!”

Loki glanced toward the field, catching sight of the two girls, and then looked down at Elvin. “Lead the way, and I’ll follow.”

Elvin nodded, quickly darting to the end of the porch and jumping off. He waved vigorously for Loki to follow as he dipped behind the house.

Loki glanced at the girls one more time and followed after Elvin. Sneaking around the house like this caused an invigorating feel to surge through the trickster. He grinned as he hurried to catch up to Elvin.

Elvin felt the need to keep running toward the tree line in fear that the two girls would somehow eagle vision them out even though the two had been blissfully ignorant to their leaving. “Hurry!” Elvin whispered as loudly as he could whisper, waving Loki to follow his lead, not that Loki would need to do more than a gentle jog to keep up with Elvin’s smaller legs.

"I am!" said Loki, keeping pace beside Elvin.

Elvin couldn't help but giggle as they ran and finally collapsed into a patch of tall grass, once the two made it to the cover of the woods.

Loki came up beside the boy, putting the basket down first and gently seating himself next to it.

Elvin disappeared into the undergrowth only to pop out. "Boo!" he yelled before peeling with another fit of giggles.

Loki calmly turned his head to look at the child, an eyebrow raised. “You’re going to have to do better than that.”

His giggles calmed. “Oh, yeah? Can you?” He smirked devilishly, daring Loki now.

Loki blinked and turned his head away, sighing sadly. “I could if I still had my magic.”

Elvin walked out of the brush now, coming to sit beside Loki. “You had magic?” He watched Loki with wide-eyed wonder. “Where did it go?”

Loki glanced at the boy, not wanting to go into details. He knew Elvin probably wouldn’t understand half of it, anyway. So instead he decided to explain it in the easiest way he felt the child would understand. “I was a naughty boy, so my father took it away to punish me.” He cringed on the inside at the way it sounded.

Elvin nodded in understanding, finding the explanation to make sense enough to him. “My daddy and momma take my toys and stuff I wanna do away from me, too, when I do stuff like pull my sisters’ hair and take extra cookies off the pan when Momma is baking and not looking.”

Loki managed a weak smirk. “Apparently, we have a lot more in common than we first thought.” Although taking one’s magic away really wasn’t the same as taking away a toy, Loki thought. It felt more like taking away a part of his soul, a part of who he was. He glanced at the boy again. “So, you said your parents spank you, too?” he said softly.

He nodded, ducking his head. “Yeah, but usually only when I’m really bad and don’t listen.”

Loki gave a silent nod. He moved his legs and touched the bottoms of his boots together.

Elvin patted his knee. “I hope your daddy gives you back your magic again. I think you’re a good boy, and I would,” the boy reassured.

Loki smiled amusingly, but the boy’s words hit him harder than the child knew. They weren’t words he heard often. In fact, he beamed at the compliment. But would he be able to remain a ‘good boy’? His smile faltered as he looked down at his hands. Being good wasn’t as hard as he imagined. In fact, it was kind of fun…for a change, especially the part where everyone actually liked him and paid him attention, but he still had trouble keeping himself under control.

“When I get it back and get my shape-shifting ability back, too, I’ll be sure to visit you and turn into a dog, just for you.” 

The boy’s eyes lit up at such a thought. “Really? That would be fantastic!” He looked over at the picnic basket. “We should get back to the lake if we’re going to catch any more fish.” He paused as a more important question came to mind. “Did…did she pack us any cookies?”

Loki shrugged. “I don’t know.” He got to his feet and picked up the basket as he began to make his way to the lake.

Elvin quickly followed suit, flipping the blanket that covered the food to see for himself as he dug through the contents. “She did! She even gave us four!” This seemed to put a pep in his step as he ran around Loki and then in front of him.

Loki smiled at Elvin’s excitement, then he looked around them for any sign of Elvin’s sisters. 

Beatrice and Gertrude seemed to have not seen them, so they were able to make it back to the lake without further intrusion.

Elvin went back to re-baiting his hook and threw it into the water, and after a few tries, he settled back on the ground with a satisfied nod.

Loki, too, baited his hook again and threw it into the water, placing the pole between a couple of rocks to keep it steady, although he settled for lying on his stomach this time, head resting on his folded arms.

Elvin scooted closer to Loki. “I left my book with Momma, so I won’t be able to read to you, sorry.”

"That's quite all right," said Loki. "I think I'll be able to manage." A wave of relief washed over him.

Elvin nodded, getting up to grab the picnic basket and dig out the cookies and handing two of them to Loki. “We can have these now!” he stated delightedly as he plopped back down beside Loki.

Loki rose up on his elbows, accepting the cookies and beginning to nibble at one.

Elvin seemed pleased that Loki was willing to indulge with him. “My momma makes the best cookies!” he boasted.

Loki nodded, taking a full bite. "They are very good."

Elvin nodded proudly as they continued to eat them. He almost dropped his second cookie when he felt a tug on his line. He squealed, “I got one!”

Loki sat up, looking toward the lake. "Pull it in!"

Elvin shoved the remainder of his cookie in his mouth, leaving him to look like a hamster as he dove for the pole, yanking on it. Whatever he’d caught was tugging hard, and the boy, all of fifty pounds, was getting inexorably pulled towards the water, coming dangerously close to falling in as he dug in his heels and panted in his exertion.

Loki shoved his second cookie in his mouth to hold with his teeth as he lunged forward to grab onto Elvin, lifting him up and pulling him back.

Whatever had snagged the line had some heft to it, Loki realized. It was going to be a big fish! Elvin hooted in excitement as the two worked to pull the fish to the shore.

Loki secured a firm grip on Elvin and backed up as far as he could, while half carrying, half dragging the boy.

As Loki assisted Elvin, it became clear that the fish was a good ten-pound sized bass. It would be enough to feed the both of them with the fish he'd caught earlier.

Loki let go of Elvin and took the cookie out of his mouth.

“Wow! Look at that!” Elvin squealed with glee, watching the big fish flop about madly on the sand. “I need to get him on the rope, but I don’t think I can do it by myself; that’s one big fish!” he stated proudly.

“Here, I’ll hold it for you,” said Loki, quickly finishing up the cookie he had been holding and walking over to grab hold of the fish.

Elvin ran over to the point they had tied Loki’s fish, and he hauled it out of the water once he’d untied the rope. Elvin raced back over to Loki’s side as he carefully threaded the rope through its gills while Loki held the fish. The fish flipped wildly, leaving Elvin to scream in delight as he finished working the rope through the mouth of the fish. He gave the rope ends to Loki to retie both of the fish back into the water. “Did you want to keep fishing? We could take the fish back to my tree house and cook them up any time now since we should have enough to eat for lunch. If you wanted to keep fishing for a little while longer though, we can,” Elvin offered.

"It doesn't really matter," said Loki.

Elvin had been aching to go to his tree fort all day and brightened when Loki gave him the go ahead. “Great! It’s not very far from here! It’s only right up over the hill and around the bend! Daddy built a picnic table for us to sit at, and I have some knives we can use to clean the fish.”

Loki's face briefly showed disappointment when Elvin voted for them to go to the fort. He had wanted to spend more time lying on the ground, relaxing, but he didn't say anything for fear of hurting Elvin's feelings. Although he admitted to himself that he was feeling a bit hungry despite having eaten two cookies. He picked up their basket and the fish. "Lead the way."

He didn’t have to tell Elvin twice as the boy darted up the hillside. He constantly looked back to make sure Loki was keeping up as he prattled on about the different amenities Volstagg had made for them. (Apparently, the tree fort was for all of his children, but several of them had grown out of its use by this time.) Elvin described a grill top that could be placed over the fire pit, placed well away from the tree and surrounded by stone benches for relaxing by the fire. He went on and on about how Helena had made curtains for the two windows, and that there were plenty of furs to rest on in the tree house.

As Loki walked along behind the boy, he blocked out most of what Elvin said. He was actually just looking forward to getting back to the massage parlor that night.


End file.
